


Special Agent: Vampire

by AC_Rodriguez



Category: Vampires - Fandom
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-25
Updated: 2020-08-11
Packaged: 2021-03-06 03:26:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 9
Words: 28,303
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25516498
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AC_Rodriguez/pseuds/AC_Rodriguez
Summary: A glass mirror reflecting the current room she was in, stood behind her. She was leaning on a table, separating her from the burly, wretched man in front of her. He was calm and quiet, a permanent frown etched on his face."So, I'm a Taurus, I love sleeping, plus I LOVE watching the Bachelor!"Eden heard a snicker come from the other side of the glass, then a slapping sound. A grin formed on her face but then disappeared."How about you, Amos? What can you tell me about yourself?"Silence.Eden raised an eyebrow as she sneered. "Do you like little boys, Mr. Amos? Do you enjoy perving on little kids?" She then leaned in further, mere inches from his face.Eden then heard Mr. Amos's heartbeat increase. It sounded like a rabid animal trying to escape its cage.Eden backed away, feeling jubilant with his reaction and then struck. Closing into his personal space, Eden stared into Mr. Amos's eyes as she felt her own change. Her eyes were naturally brown, then transformed; they gained a neon-green/ golden hue as veins protruded from the sides of her face, her eyelids became hooded all at the same time, she then snarled. "Now, Mr. Amos, did you kill Sgt Malcolm?!"





	1. prelude

Eden Colton, October 4, 2019

"For the last time Mom, I want to move. I'm not staying here any longer, I'm moving out and I'm leaving the Island." I argued for what seems like the millionth time with my mother.

How to describe her, my mom? She was the Devil.

Manipulative and bossy could probably sum her up. But if I wanted to be more accurate, a short Hispanic woman with long brown hair, reaching her back. Small round glasses adorned her face and a powerful voice that echoed through our entire neighborhood, plus obnoxious and all-knowing.

"Eden, I don't care how old you are. I don't care what you think. You are not leaving this house even if it's the last thing I do. You are not leaving me and if you dare move I will beat you until you're black and blue." Her face was menacing and red, eyes wide and lip curled.

And that was not just an empty threat. She meant every last word she said.

I am tired. With being 23, and already a graduated nurse I just hoped for a better life. A life where I could leave everything behind and move somewhere that didn't remind me of home... or better said this house. Nothing entirely wrong with this house, just the person living in it with me.

For 15 odd years, I lived under my mother's roof, listening to her orders without hesitation and argument. Listening to her "nuggets of wisdom", to the "endless knowledge" she had to impart to me. Her knowledge which was claiming she knew everything a doctor would, without ever stepping a foot in university or college for that matter; calling me disrespectful when I pointed out when she was wrong, arguing with me about not being more intertwined with our religious beliefs like she was; manipulating me in any way possible to stay with her, until now.

But I had finally drawn a line.

I recently lost something I could never replace. And no matter what she tried, she couldn't keep me here any longer.

I had a bachelors degree in Nursing, I was 23 years old and I had a plane ticket waiting for me tonight, heading out with my one and only friend, to a job opportunity that had reached me. My friend Ivy has insisted she wanted to come, she was younger than me but she insisted that where I go, she goes too. I think my heart melted when she said that but I kinda knew that the only reason she was so hyped to go was to see her boyfriend.

I don't blame her, love made us blind.

Love hadn't made me blind. But responsibility and duty had made me stay here all this time and now I decided I had enough and responsibility and duty could shove it if they liked it.

"How about Grandma? Are you going to break her heart by leaving too?" Moira Colton was truly trying anything in her power to keep me here.

Why? She was alone. 61 years old, yet she looked in her early 50s- late 40s; barely 5 feet and nearly round. She pushed my father, her late ex-husband away before I turned 5 with her raging antics and never remarried. She always held in her true love to one man, but he never gave her the time of the day nor did he ever love her, from what I'm told. Her high school crush, that was her true love and I think he's married. Did I mention my mother has obsessive behavior as well?

"Grandma is fine with me leaving. As long as I maintain contact with her, and all that, she gave me her blessing." I added with a shrug as I hoisted my bag over my shoulder, the rest of my things already in the car.

"You can't leave! Who is going to help me run the hardware store with you gone?" She was almost pleading, but her eyes were angry, despite her voice becoming thinner and laced with what I think is fret.

I whirled around to face her. "Hire some people, vet them as you see fit, and give them a job. The hardware store is not a family business, that's what you want, I worked there since I was 13, mom. I helped with the heavy lifting, I moved blocks, I moved sand, I helped with deliveries and I helped soften the load. You can't expect me here forever. Let me go. I'm asking you this as kindly as I can. I want to go, I am going. The question is, do I have your approval?"

She paused and bit her lip. She was thinking, hopefully for the best. I was already beside the door, hand on the door handle. She then raised her head and glared.

"If you leave, I will throw your dogs out into the street. I don't care much about them, and they're an annoyance. Leave and they leave too."

I felt my heart squeeze. That was her most common threat, ironic considering that when she was younger she had dogs and cats in her house since she was 10 until she was 35. She had more pets in her lifetime than I had teeth, and believe me, I was born with extra teeth. How was she capable of such heartlessness, you ask? I don't know, this was the woman who claimed to have God in her heart. And I almost hesitated, mostly for show. Then I shrugged.

"No need, they're coming with me on the plane. Both of them. You can keep the cats, though."

Her eyes were livid again, she even growled. "I will kick them out too."

"You need them since Halo hunts for you, and besides, Bastet is your favorite. We only have two." I was beginning to grin, she thought she had the upper hand, but I had taken every countermeasure. I was leaving and not coming back.

But then she screamed in outrage and almost ran towards me but backed up and turned to her room, locking the door behind her as she began screaming obscenities.

"I will leave. I'm going to count to 4, and if you're not out, I'm gone."

She kept shouting and I think she began flipping things in her room. I paused, wincing at the sound of whatever destruction she was causing. I shook my head, counted to four, looked at the living room, and walked out of my house. The house that I had been living in since I was born.

Closing the door behind me meant leaving my life behind. Well, the life I knew anyways. But I had been meticulously planning this, and it was time to take action. Before Moira could step foot out of her room, I called for my two loyal companions, Cookie and Stitch, and had them in the car. I was already peeling off from my driveway 5 minutes later, feeling the guilt of leaving my mom behind. It would forever haunt me.

But one look at my neighbor wave goodbye to me as I left, had me reassure myself that I was making the right choice. He lived beside me for as long as I could remember and he knew exactly what happened in my household. Hell, he helped convince me to leave! He would keep an eye on Moira, and relay any pertinent info back.

But in the end, I was leaving.

But not without my dear friend Ivy, of course.

The trip to her house wasn't too long, I had already said goodbye to everyone near and dear to my life days ago. Only Ivory's family remained and they seemed fine with leaving their 18-year-old in my care. Indiana was calling us and both of us were following her beck and call.

'Indiana, here we come!' We often cheered.

'Rick, here she comes!' I always cheered which was accompanied by a shove or a stink eye, or a big grin if Ivy was feeling ok.

The good news was that I quickly arrived at Ivy's house, picked her up, and then we were dismissed with too many hugs and kisses and left to the airport shortly after. Ivy kept raving about how excited she was about us living together, she kept raging on how she was excited to see Rickard again. I just drove with a smile on my face as she raged and petted Stitch repeatedly.

About an hour later we were on a plane, our lovely island and home behind us, open skies ahead of us.

"Think you'll miss your home?" Ivy whispered as the plane prepared to take off.

"I miss a lot of things, leaving Puerto Rico won't be one of them... I hope."

And with that in mind, we left and didn't look back.


	2. oNe

The hard truth is,

we are **all** afraid of something.

The Darkness.

Heights.

The Unknown.

Enclosed and tight places.

Insects.

And some other things that seem overkill at times.

**_Me?_ **

I’m afraid of being buried alive- I know its a bit dramatic, but it’s true. I was constantly reassured as a child that _that_ would **never** happen to me. And for the longest time, I believed it. Hell, why _would_ I be buried alive?

But even after being reassured thoroughly, the gnawing feeling that being buried **_was_** a potential and real threat, a real possibility never left.

And the truth was, my instincts were right. I **_was_** almost buried alive.

|oNe|

The feeling of being cold to the bone was the first thing she felt. It took her a few minutes to identify where she was and what she felt- because all she could see was pitch darkness. When she tried to raise her hands to feel around, she felt her hand collide with metal- and a resounding crash echoed in her ears. Above her was metal, and below her as well, but as she touched the sides, she felt something soft yet cold- but she couldn’t identify it. Panic began to build up inside her, but as she tried to breathe, her lungs felt short on-air. By the looks of it or better said, the feeling of it, Eden was locked in some sort of metal container. And that’s when she couldn’t take it anymore. Eden began to panic.

At first, her breathing became shaky and her thoughts were a jumbled mess. Then she realized that her worst fear had come to life. The lack of clean oxygen, and the coldness, and the feeling of being in a tight space, Eden then realized that she was inside a casket. Someone had actually buried her alive. And when that thought finally registered, all hell broke loose. First, she began to hyperventilate and deny the fact that she was in there. But shortly afterward, she began to verbally express her outrage, disbelief, and fear all -while slowly banging against the metal.

′ _No, no, no. This can’t be happening. This isn’t real! This is another nightmare I’ll be waking up from soon enough! Please, please, tell me this is a dream!′_

And even though she reassured herself, Eden knew she was only fooling herself, and doing a poor job at it. As soon as breathing became harder, Eden’s desperation and fear became more persistent.

“I’m alive! Please, let me out of here!! Please, I beg you, whoever can hear me, **LET ME OUT!!”**

Her screaming was followed with more banging and hyperventilation, more fear and desperation. Soon, she felt like she was going to faint in her spot or die. Luckily, her fear didn’t drag out any further. For some reason, Eden could have sworn she heard the sound of something opening and closing... a door maybe? A window? She couldn’t properly identify what it was- but she heard it nonetheless. That instantly reignited her desire to be heard.

" **PLEASE**! Is anyone out there?! **PLEASE LET ME OUT!** I’m alive! Please, please, let me out!!! Please, save me! **I’M ALIVE, LET ME OUT!”**

Suddenly, she heard footprints stop in their tracks. Whoever was out there, was nearby. Hopefully whoever it was, heard her. She continued screaming all the while hearing the footsteps back away from the casket she was in. Suddenly, the sound of opening repeated, someone else came in. Eden paused momentarily to hear the voices more clearly.

“Mr. Hudson, I thought I told you to bring those blood samples to Miss Cahill 40 minutes ago. Why are they still here?” The sound of a male voice was heard, firm and in control, with a British accent mixed with hints of Scottish drawl.

Before the ‘Mr. Hudson’ in question could answer, Eden continued her screams. “Hello?! Please, anyone out there! Please let me out, I’m alive! Please, I beg of you, I don’t know how I got here and I don’t want to be buried alive! Please, let me **OUT**!”

For some reason, the sound around Eden increased tenfold. As she took a deep breath, Eden could swear she heard the sound of a heartbeat- wait, make that two heartbeats- outside of the casket she was in. Their collective heartbeats were galloping like wild horses, and it seemed they were not too far from her.

“Dr. Weston,” said another voice. “Please tell me I did not hallucinate that voice. Please tell me I’m not going crazy- because I swear _that_ voice came from the refrigerator?”

Eden could hear the fear and disbelief on the other man’s voice, the ‘Mr. Hudson’ who sounded American, likely from North USA. She decided to try her pleas one more time.

“Hello?! I can hear whoever is out there, please let me out! I don’t know why I’m inside a casket but please, please I swear to you, I’m alive and I want to get out!!! **PLEASE** , please **LET ME OUT**!”

She could hear their heartbeats increase, and could have sworn- she could smell their fear. She continued banging on the casket until she could hear the men outside continue their conversation.

“Mr. Hudson, contact Oliver and tell him to come immediately, and if there is someone claiming to be next of kin, tell them to come too.” The British- Scot replied while slowly walking, hopefully, towards her.

Mr. Hudson began to walk in another direction, as far as Eden could tell, and grabbed something before speaking in hush tones that she could vaguely hear. Shortly afterward, she heard a knocking on her casket door. _“Can you hear me? Is someone in here?”_

“Please, let me out! I can’t breathe in here! And I’m freezing! Please let me out!”

The ‘Dr. Weston’ didn’t reply, but Eden shortly heard the sound of something opening and closing for the third time that night. She heard the distinct pattern of two different footsteps and the increasing amount of heartbeats. Where they ever going to let her out? She was terrified and confused, she didn’t remember how she got here- or why she was inside a casket of some sort- or why she could hear ‘doctors’ outside her casket.

She also didn’t know how she could hear their heartbeats as if they were connected to speakers, loud for everyone to hear. All she remembered was her name- and so far that’s it. The coldness of the casket bit into her skin and Eden decided she didn’t want to feel so cold anymore.

**“FOR THE LOVE OF GOD! LET ME THE FUCK OUT OF HERE! IM FREEZING AND IM BEGGING TO BE LET OUT, OF THIS FUCKING CASKET, I CAN’T TAKE ANOTHER MINUTE INSIDE THIS THING ANYMORE! Now LET ME OUT!”**

Everything around her became quiet, but not the heartbeats. Oh no! They increased tenfold as if the people outside were running a marathon. She heard whispers outside the casket as if someone were counting. By the time they counted three, the metal piece behind Eden opened, allowing light to flood inside. Eden exhaled in relief, and suddenly she felt a hand grab the metal tray she was laying on and pull her backward, towards the light. The sudden light blinded her, it almost felt like her eyes were being burned. She allowed a hiss to escape her mouth and she slowly tried to open her eyes and come face to face with three men around her, two older men and one young one enough to be around his 30s. When Eden finally registered that she could open her eyes, she looked at herself and let out a scream.

" ** _WHY AM I NAKED?!”_** For indeed only a white sheet covered her, and she was completely naked underneath that sheet.

" **How are you alive?**!” Said the younger man, flinching and backing away from her.

She retaliated, taking deep breaths and holding the sheet to herself.” **WHAT IS GOING ON?!”**

Before she could get an answer, another man appeared, seemingly hiding behind one of the older men who had a gun in his hands. He was younger, also in his mid-30s, which piercing blue eyes that seemed to hold both the sea and sky in them. His black hair was short, reaching the back of his neck, and his face was beautiful yet relieved as he went towards her and enveloped her in a hug. At first, she didn’t remember who this person was, but when the scent of peppermint and his Krakengard body-wash hit her, she hugged the man in front of her as tightly as possible.

“Cade!” Eden whispered while hugging the man in front of her tightly. “What is going on? How did I get here and where exactly is here?”

Cade let go of Eden momentarily and removed the big leather jacket he wore and placed it on Eden’s shoulders. He even went as far as zipping it up to the top; but before he could answer, he was interrupted.

The man with the gun placed said object back into the holster at his side- before allowing his face to become neutral. He too had piercing blue eyes, but unlike Cade’s, they reflected blue sapphire. His hair was salt and pepper colored, a perfect mix of white and gray but his face didn’t have many wrinkles. So he was old, but not old enough; but yet what stood out was his commanding presence and the air of authority surrounding him.

“I’m Special Agent Aaron Oliver Green, you’re in FGCIS’s morgue.” He didn’t offer more of an explanation than that.

Eden allowed a shuddering breath to escape her. ” _Morgue_? Why am I in a morgue? And what is FGCIS?”

There was a beat of silence for a moment or two before someone deigned to answer. “That’s the thing, Eden. I don’t know how to tell you this, but...

you’ve been legally dead for four hours now. You died.”

And that’s when bile rose to my throat.

**|AC. Rodriguez|**


	3. tWo

Eden felt her heart drop.

And then she felt the need to regurgitate. She hiccuped once, gagging. Cade then entered her line of vision. Before she could open her mouth to let anything out, Cade grabbed her shoulders and spoke. His voice sounded sweet, alluring, and charming in a whisper.

“I need you to keep your calm, you’re in the middle of transitioning, so this won’t work on you. Try not to make a bigger scene; as soon as they leave, we’ll talk.” His pupils dilated- his eyes shone blue and bright in front of her.

Eden was about to ask, but she knew from the look Cade gave her, he would ignore her question. So she swallowed with difficulty, pulling the white sheet closer.

“Before anyone can continue explaining, can I please get off this damn table?! **I’m freezing my butt off!”**

The three agents shifted awkwardly away from Eden as she held Cade’s arm. Cade turned around, facing the men and breaking physical contact. “Excuse me, Agent Green but if you and your co-workers could kindly leave Eden and me here? She needs to dress, and time to think, so please that would be great.”

Agent Green nodded before motioning to the two other men, an older man who could potentially be Eden’s great grandfather and a younger man, presumably ‘Mr. Hudson’ from earlier; they then left, the sliding doors closing behind them. She inhaled deeply, and then stood up from the table, and felt her legs crumble. Cade was holding her up instantly, his strong arm supporting her as she held him close and cried.

“What happened?” She was whispering, breathing Cade’s calming scent.

“I heard some awful things, but I was hoping you would tell me your version of the truth,” Cade responded as he grabbed the white sheet to cover her nether regions, picked her up and set her on a chair nearby. He then walked towards one of nearby desks and found some baggy sweats, after digging thoroughly through them, and gave them to Eden to wear.

“Cade, how did I get here? How am I transitioning? Where is this place? I have so many questions and so few answers.”

Cade turned to face Eden once she successfully placed the pants on and opened his arms for her to enter. “Do you remember what today is?”

“Halloween, October 31, 2020,” Eden replied shortly.

Cade nodded. “Technically, it’s November 1, 2:00 am. But that’s just a technicality. What were we doing tonight?” Cade asked as he rubbed her hair affectionately.

Eden blinked before she began to recall that night’s events.

_•_

_If there’s one thing Eden Colton hated, it had to be Halloween. Valentine’s Day was a close second. But Halloween was Numero Uno and being friends with a vampire on Halloween sucked,_

_pun intended._

_For months, Eden lived with the elusive, attractive and deadly Cadmus Havillion, eligible bachelor and member of the undead. See the thing Eden had lost, the thing Eden was searching for, was her memory. A memory of something vital she couldn’t remember, no matter what she tried._

_When she moved to Indiana_ _, she was hoping to find peace, closure, or answers, or all of the above. Instead, she felt stuck and lost, in this new environment. She knew she didn’t belong and that the whole reason she was there was because Ivy and Rick had a romantic story to live out and Eden wanted to make it possible. That being said, as soon as Person A and Person B got together, Eden was left happy yet lonely and missing vital parts of her life. For months she drifted around Indiana without any destination until she found a phone number to someone she hadn’t heard from in a long time. She called and Cadmus was the other person on that line. They began to talk and Cade understood her perfectly. He soon invited her to move in with him in Virginia/Georgia, on the border of both states._

_At first, it seemed wrong and weird. Living alone with a handsome man who, sure she trusted, but not enough to live with him indefinitely. But then again, she moved from her childhood home to break away from monotony and predictability, from rules and over-protective mothers. So after careful consideration, Eden moved to Virginia- Georgia with Cade; for some reason, Eden could not remember how they met whatsoever, but she did know she could trust Cade with all her heart._

_Cadmus was thrilled. He let her move in with him and believe it, his house was mansion-like. Old fashioned and fancy. Ivy was very jealous of Eden’s new living quarters but didn’t comment about moving in with the handsome man. So for 7 months, Eden lived with Cade. Everything and anything she needed, he provided, all he asked in exchange was to keep him company as a friend and make sure he didn’t succumb to baser urges._

_Eden eventually began to beg Cade to help her regain her lost memories. He tried, but nothing ever seemed to work, but still, Eden was enjoying life in Cade’s home. She met new people and did crazy things she never thought she would ever do._

_Then Halloween came along._

_Cade begged her to accompany him. Eden refused. He asked her to dress up. She didn’t even want to go out. But he eventually convinced her, she’d never gone to a Halloween party and going with him would be an ‘unforgettable experience’. So she finally complied, dressing up like her favorite heroine, Lara Croft and Cade one-upping her as a sexy pirate, even had his shirt open to reveal his chest._

_The first party they hit was loud and wild. Eden wasn’t much of a drinker, but Cade was drinking every teenage guy under the table, it helped that he was incapable of getting drunk immediately. Eden just watched, danced around a few girls and made sure to always have eyes on her drink. Cade would soon be making escapades with girls, to do the ‘Tango’._

_Eden didn’t know how long they stayed in each house, all she knew is that they made 4 stops that night. Cade was going around with girls and Eden was left to drink, make small talk or dance with any guys who were sober enough. By the 5th house, Eden’s feet were sore, her shirt was too tight and her makeup was sweating off her face. Cade was high on either blood or the extreme alcohol he was consuming if alcohol was even capable of affecting him. All she knew is that she wanted to go home, Cade wanted to keep the party going. They finally agreed that she was okay to leave as long as both of them kept their phones on and not on vibrate. About 20 minutes into the party, Eden decided to leave and Cade was nowhere to be seen. She was tempted to go upstairs and tell him she was leaving but she knew she didn’t want to see anything traumatizing that night. So she simply texted him that she was leaving and out the door she went, it was convenient that the parties were being held in Cade’s neighborhood. She wa-_

And then Eden was rudely interrupted from her explanation when the doors to the room Cade and she was in, opened and three men, the same from before, re-entered.

Eden held onto Cade and then felt a pounding headache develop. Something in her body was changing, she felt hunger, pain, nausea, and fear all in one split second. The feelings were dizzying. She didn’t know what to do, so she simply held onto Cade’s arm, making it her lifeline.

“It’s come to my attention, that this is the first time a situation like this has occurred. And since we don’t know what to do, we were hoping to get a general review from the doctor here and have your... _sister_?”

Eden and Cade nodded.

“Your sister,” the Agent said. “checked out.”

Eden gave Cade a shake, to catch his attention and tried to convey what she was feeling with her facial expressions. Cade grabbed her cheeks and looked into her eyes, they were having a silent conversation. _‘If they do check on me, what do you think they’ll find?’_

_‘I don’t know, but I’ll make sure you’re not found out.’_

_‘Do you promise?’_

Cade didn’t respond, he simply kissed her forehead and murmured into her hair, “I already failed you once, I’m not failing you again.”

Eden wrapped her arms around his waist. “Fine, but if I’m transitioning, that means I need to feed eventually. I can’t be around them too long unless I want to be found out.”

“If they do, I’ll gladly wipe their memories,” Cade whispered before letting Eden go and turning back to the men. “If you do check on her, I want to be present.”

The doctors nodded to the agent and then motioned to Eden to come towards them. Eden gulped, confusion still plagued her. Nonetheless, she allowed herself to walk the short distance and was told to sit down on the examination table. It was cold once again. Eden then felt a hand on her shoulder and visibly flinched, going as far as to slap the hand away.

The doctor took a step back, his assistant watched and Cade huffed. Instantly, Eden was trembling and looking for Cade for comfort. Cade nodded and she sighed. “I’m sorry sir, that was very impolite of me.”

The doctor sighed and allowed a small smile to form on his face. It felt comforting and warm. “It’s quite alright, my dear. I just find myself unable to comprehend how you’re alive when we, Mr. Hudson and I, performed an autopsy on you.”

Eden then recognized his voice as the Brit-Scot from before and the young man, she realized was Mr. Hudson.

“Allow me to introduce myself. I’m Dr. Theodore Weston, you may call me Teddy.”

A small smile then reflected on Eden’s face. “Like the president?”

The doctor chuckled. “Why yes, just like President Roosevelt. Now would you like to tell me your name?”

She swallowed. “My name is Eden Colton LaFayette.”

“And how old are you, Miss Colton?”

“I’m 24.” She then blinked when she realized that, if she did complete the transition, her body would stop aging and technically, she would remain 24, **_forever._**

She felt her mouth go dry and shook her head, trying to shake that thought away. The doctor resumed his examination, all while Eden felt her heart pound like a sledgehammer in her chest. What was she to do? What would happen? Would she go through the transition, become a vampire? Or would she allow death to consume her?

The thought of death seemed appealing for a moment. But then she looked at Cade’s face, saw the worry, the anxiousness and the tenseness in his posture. Then she remembered Ivy, what would happen if she left her alone? Grandma Illuminada? Her pets (which she forgot about for a dear moment)? Eden swallowed once more, how could she leave all of them behind? This would be her life now... if she chose it.

“Do you know what day it is?”

Eden raised her head, snapping back to the reality she currently faced. “Halloween, October 31, 2020.”

“Why yes, but it was Halloween, by technicality, a few hours ago.”

Eden nodded. “May I ask a question of my own?”

The doctor smiled and then looked at his assistant as Agent Green went to stand beside Cadmus. “Why, yes of course.”

Eden frowned. “What’s FGCSI?”

The doctor seemed pleased with her question. “It stands for Federal Government of Crime Scene Investigation. You’re in our Morgue, and I’m Head Medical Examiner, My Assisting Doctor, George Hudson, and one of our finest Agents, Aaron Oliver Green.” The Doctor said while pointing at the older man beside Cade.

Eden swallowed and the doctor continued making benign tests on her until she finally spoke up again. “I’m not a federal agent or anything of the sort, so why am I here?”

‘Teddy’ made a clicking sound and turned to Agent Green. He responded instead. “We were hoping you would tell us.”

Eden closed her eyes. “You found me dead, yes?”

“That’s right.” Chimed in the other doctor. He was thin as a beanpole and seemed awkward. _‘An easy target to feed on,’_ Eden thought and then shook her head.

“But you still haven’t explained how you found me. The last thing I remember was leaving a Halloween party in our neighborhood. I was tired and Cade stayed behind to party while I walked home. I had my phone on me and I kept it on loud all night and so did Cade. I-”

And then the remainder of the night, the whole reason she died, that memory came back hitting her like a bucket of ice. She paused, mouth open and eyes on Cade as she suddenly felt tears pool at her eyes, and her body began to shake on its own accord. Cade was instantly by her side, hugging her tightly to his chest. “I remember what happened. Cade, Dear God, I remember how I died!”

Cade let her go to look at her face and wipe her tears away. Eden was about to open her mouth but felt a pounding headache form at the back of her head. It felt like her head was being cracked open with a hammer and chisel. She whined in pain. Cade then looked at her again and saw her pupils dilate and the veins in her wrist jerk and expand. Her body was demanding blood, she was hungry.

Raising her head to look at the three men, Eden licked her lips, for she knew that one of them was about to become her meal.

One of those three men...

_Was about to die._

**|AC_Rodriguez|**


	4. thRee

The morgue felt cold, not because the air conditioner was always on, no. It felt cold because it lacked life. Only two men worked there, day in- day out. Metallic gray composed the room, whether it was the examination tables, the refrigerators for the bodies or the door to the medical equipment closet. It always felt cold and haunted in that room, which is why few people that were alive hardly dared to venture inside the Autopsy room. That’s the name of the location, Autopsy and Examination Quarters.

The rest of the time, those two men specialized in working and preserving the dead. All types of people. Young, old, woman or man. Never people younger than 20, but race and religion didn’t matter, they respected and preserved the individuals on their table. So Eden qualified for examination when they found her. A young female, brown hair and brown eyes, slightly tanned skin with two knife wounds, one in the abdomen and another just an inch below her clavicle. But those were stab wounds, there was a third wound across her throat, a deep cut, slicing her jugular. It wasn’t deep enough to cut through bone but it meant she bled out, very quickly.

Three knife wounds. But zero blood on her clothes.

Her clothes.

The young Jane Doe, since she held no identification when the police found her, was dressed in a big Army coat and pants, obviously way too big for her. The camouflage pattern was hard to miss once she was laying on the examination table. The doctors mourned internally the death of the young female and had done everything in their power to make sure to properly identify her and prepare her for Autopsy.

The lead agents had examined the scene where they found her. Some park called Old Mill, near the University of Mary Washington. Her body and her hands were taped to the swing set, her head pushed forwards to hide the cut across her neck and her feet bare but unharmed. Meaning, she didn’t walk here, she was planted or placed here. There was little blood on her clothes, meaning she was wearing something different when she died. They felt pity, sadness, and rage towards whoever brutalized the young woman, especially since she was Army... or so they thought.

When they arrived at the Autopsy room, they identified fingerprints, running them through all sorts of databases they had at their disposal. What a crime to commit, and on Halloween! It seemed that crime increased drastically on Halloween. In the end, they identified young Eden and began searching for next of kin. Three names surged when they investigated. A Moira LaFayette, Ivory Carter, and Cadmus Havillion.

Moira LaFayette, mother, age 62, born in Puerto Rico, a widow, current resident of Puerto Rico. Christopher Colton, father, deceased at age 50, born in New Hampshire.

Cadmus Havillion, brother, age 27, born in Georgia, a current resident of Virginia, single.

Ivory Carter, sister, age 19, born in Canada, current resident of Indiana, dating a Rickard Morgenstern.

Eden Colton LaFayette, born May 6, 1997, New Hampshire, raised in Puerto Rico, single, lived for 2 years in Lawrence, Kansas; current resident of Virginia.

When the agents in charge searched through Eden’s details, they immediately called Cadmus first, being her brother and the closest but held off from calling Moira and were hesitant to call Ivory. Little did they know that Cadmus would be in their building less than an hour, half demanding to see his sister. The agents were even more hesitant to let Cade see Eden once they saw that both individuals held no visible resemblance. But he reassured them that Eden’s father was his father too and they digressed. Shortly, they led Cade to the leading Agent of the case, Agent Aaron Oliver Green. They wanted to interview Cade first before allowing him to see his sister but he insisted on confirming her remains, but deep inside he knew he had to see her as soon as possible for an entirely different reason.

Her revival depended on him.

But before he headed off anywhere, he asked to make a few phone calls. His first phone call went to Ivory and it went a little like this.

A disgruntled and grumpy female answered the phone on the third ring. “Whoever is calling me, someone better be dying!”

Cadmus sighed. “Sadly, someone did.”

A deep pause and a sharp intake of breath. “Who is this?”

“It’s Cadmus, Ivy. We have a situation. You’re not going to like this one bit.” Cade said as he leaned against the wall in the conference room the agents directed him towards when he asked for privacy.

“Cade, what’s going on? Does this have to do-”

Cade cut her off. “Yes, it does. Eden is dead.”

He then heard shuffling and scrambling and a bit of shouts. “TELL ME WHAT HAPPENED RIGHT NOW, CABRÓN!”

Cade grunted as he quickly pulled the phone away from his exploded eardrum. “You can relax a bit, _I hope._ Eden died with my blood in her system.”

Ivy was talking to someone else while she held the phone to her ear. “And you have confirmation that my _sister_ is alive?!”

“Not yet, but how soon can you get to Washington DC? There’s an agency called FGCSI, I’m here right now. They called me first because I live closer. But I called you out of respect and courtesy. So please get here soon, Eden is going to need all the moral support she can get.”

Ivy was cursing in Spanish and mixing it a bit with French. She was moving around her room rapidly, as far as Cade could tell. “I’ll be there as soon as I can. Make sure that she’s alive, Cade. And whoever did this is going to pay dearly.” Ivy said, threateningly. “And don’t forget to call Amaia. I have a feeling we’re going to need her too. She’s actual family.”

Cade swallowed with difficulty. “Don’t worry, I will as soon as you hang up. And drive safely, don’t want another accident on my hands.”

Ivy laughed without humor. “I better not find whoever did this, because if I do, I will personally deploy my own methods of torture... and believe me, I’ve thought about how to torture someone and make it last.”

Cade rolled his eyes and chuckled. A 19 year old capable of threats. Eden really had colorful friends, to say the least. “Don’t worry, I’ll personally take care of this.”

And then Ivy hung up. Cade stared at the room for a moment, his eyes registering the ugly bright yellow in the room. It kind of hurt his eyes and made him nauseous. But Cade steeled his nerves best he could as he prepared himself for the next call.

Amaia Hadreah Bloodphyre.

This time it took two phone calls just to get in touch with her, and she answered the phone in a much aggressive manner than Ivy. “For the love of God Cade, why are you calling me at 2 am?!”

Cade fidgeted as he spoke, he could feel himself slowly become uneasy with each passing second, but he hid it well. “I would say good morning to you too, but I have some bad news. Hopefully, you’re sitting down for this.”

He heard a male voice answer beside her. “Who is it, babe?”

“It’s Cade, Eddy,” Amaia answered. “I’m not sitting but I’m not standing either. I can handle the bad news, Cadmus. What is it?”

“It’s your cousin, Hadreah. Eden is dead.”

Cade waited for a bomb to go off. Or a reaction similar to Ivy’s. “Where are you? And who am I going to kill?”

Her voice was sharp but low. It actually managed to send chills down his spine. “I don’t know who did this. But I have a bit of good news. She died with my blood in her system. She should be transitioning soon, I hope.”

“What did he say?” Said the man on Amaia’s side of the line, Eddy as she called him.

“He said, that Eden had ingested Cade’s blood.” She explained in a huffy manner. “Where are you, Cade? I’m heading there now. Because we are not having this conversation over the phone, you have some explaining to do and I’m not taking ′ ** _NO’_** for an answer!”

Cade sighed and tried to not focus on the nauseating yellow of the room. “I’m in Washington DC, a building called FGCSI, google map it. Try to come as soon as you can... how far are you from Maryland?”

Amaia was also shuffling around and making loud noises on her side of the line. “I’m in New Orleans, I’ll be hightailing over there as soon as I can. You know me.” She added with a dry chuckle. “C’mon Double D, you’re coming with.”

“Amora, you wouldn’t happen to be bringing your brothers too while you’re at it?” Cade asked, and he sounded a bit alarmed.

“Pierce and Asher are doing their own thing in Illinois. Unless they catch wind of this, they will probably stay there. So no, I’m not bringing them. I know you don’t get along with them, but so help me God Almighty, I better not find the person responsible for Eden’s... death. Blood will be spilled, one way or another!”

And without further prompt, Amaia hung up the phone. Cade banged his head against the wall behind him. This was all his fault! If only he hadn’t let Eden leave the house by herself! If only he’d been more careful with her!

And then he remembered how he needed to see her immediately. Cade was out of the conference room in a second and walking towards a frowning Agent Green who had his jacket in hand and a folder in the other.

“I would like to see my sister right now!” Cade demanded, his shoulders were tense and squared, jaw tight and eyes narrowed. He seemed to challenge anyone to oppose his request.

Agent Green raised his head to make eye contact with Cade. “Sadly, that will have to wait until tomorrow. My agents and I have been working nonstop for three days on another case before your sister’s situation landed on our lap.” Agent Green was a serious man, his sapphire eyes reflected seriousness and held no room for argument. “I don’t mean to be insensitive, sir. But I’m sure the body isn’t going anywhere, you may see her tomorrow.”

 _‘Joke’s on you!’_ Cade thought. _‘But if I don’t check on Eden right now, there could possibly be no tomorrow for her.’_

“I’d hate to argue with you, but I feel it is my right to see my sister right now. Please sir, what if this was your relative? Besides, I want to confirm that it’s really her. I have her younger sister and her older cousin heading over here to deal with this unexpected situation. I need to make sure they aren’t going to make this trip in vain.”

So, with a frown and a ticked-off attitude, Agent Green, who hated being contradicted, led Cadmus down to the lower floors of the FGCSI building, towards Autopsy and Examination. He made sure to leave another Agent in charge before he made his way downstairs. Agent Green, or as some agents referred to him, Oliver, continued peppering Cadmus with questions.

“How long has your sister been living with you?”

“She moved in with me this April, she was having issues with her mother, and Moira has never liked me. Being Christopher’s firstborn and not her child, Moira disliked me. But Eden was living in an incredibly controlled environment and wanted a taste of freedom. I was determined to take care of my kid sister, if I knew something like this would happen, I would have made both of us remain indoors last night.” Cade admitted, suddenly reflecting on how Eden was so against the idea of going out.

“Has your sister ever served?” Oliver asked as he placed his arm against the elevator.

“Served? As in the Military?” Cade’s face was, for once, set in genuine confusion.

“Yes, we found Eden wearing an Army uniform.” Agent Oliver continued as they began to reach the basement level of the building.

“Look, my sister has never served in any form of military. Our uncles have, but never her. I-” Cade was about to finish his sentence when the door to the elevator opened and he heard screaming coming from beyond the door.

He recognized her voice instantly, relief and temporary joy filled him as he rushed out the door, ignoring Agent Green’s question.

“What’s going on here?” Asked Oliver as soon as he stepped through the Autopsy door, Cade a few steps ahead. “We heard shouting.”

Dr. Theodore Weston, Teddy, Head Medical Examiner and close friend of Oliver, sighed in relief. “Thank goodness you’re here Oliver. I have no concrete explanation for this situation but it appears our latest visitor is very alive.”

“And I’m surprised you came down so quickly. I was just talking to Grayson, he said you were on your way down with a relative. I didn’t know you were coming down here so fast.” Mr. George Hudson added, RN and Assistant Medical Examiner.

Agent Green did a double-take, while Cade felt relief. “Alive?! Teddy, that impossible! You confirmed her death 2 hours ago and dealt with her Autopsy. Didn’t you?”

He completely ignored Mr. Hudson but he heard what the young man said. Before someone else could reply, all the men in the room froze once they heard Eden’s voice sound loud and clear from inside the morgue refrigerator.

**_“FOR THE LOVE OF GOD! LET ME THE FUCK OUT OF HERE! IM FREEZING AND IM BEGGING TO BE LET OUT, OF THIS FUCKING CASKET, I CAN’T TAKE ANOTHER MINUTE INSIDE THIS THING ANYMORE! Now, LET ME OUT!”_ **

Cadmus was about to step forward and pry the door open but a hand held him back. “Wait a moment,” said Agent Green as he removed his gun from his holster. “On the count of three, I need someone to open the door. Who is ready?”

Cade panicked although his face portrayed otherwise. “Is the gun really necessary?”

“We don’t know what we’re dealing with!” The Agent argued.

“How about a scared girl?” Cade responded, instantly angry.

They simply ignored him and counted, before Dr. Teddy opened the door to Eden’s refrigerator, Agent Green’s gun pointed at her while Cadmus prepared himself for the unexpected. Eden was then pulled towards the light and flinched. Her body was barely being covered by a white sheet and her hair was loose and gritty, her eyes or better said, her pupils were dilated and her pulse was agitated. When she finally decided to look at the state she was in, she screamed.

 **“WHY AM I NAKED?!”** She instantly held the sheet tighter to her body while hunching herself to try to cover up.

Cade was by her side the second the nurse opened his mouth to retaliate. ‘ **HOW ARE YOU ALIVE?!’** Cade ignored the younger string bean of a man’s reply and focused all his energy and time on Eden.

Never in his life had he been thankful of the decision he’d taken. Eden was alive and he hoped she would stay that way. He held her tight and vowed not to let her go. They had too much to talk about, especially with Amaia and Ivory on their way and Eden in the middle of transitioning. Cade then vowed to not let her out of his sights and vowed to protect her with his life if that’s what it took. Plus he couldn’t forget... there was going to be hell to pay once he discovered who dared to lay hands on his beloved sister...

on his beloved **_pet._**

_((A little bit longer but I thought it was necessary to add some vital characters. I hope you enjoy! Your thoughts, dear reader, are greatly appreciated and desired.))_

**|AC_Rodriguez|**


	5. foUr

Eden clung to Cade as if he were her lifeline and he felt so relieved to be by her side. The agents were left flabbergasted and shocked with these turn of events but said nothing. Cadmus could feel their glances piercing his back and he knew he needed some time with Eden, to ask her what happened.

“Cade!” Eden whispered while squeezing him. “What’s going on? How did I get here and where exactly is here?”

Cade wanted to hold her as long as he could but he knew he needed to face her, to explain some things but she required comfort. Explanations would come eventually.

_•_

Cade watched with worry as Eden stood up from the table to walk towards the doctor to get examined. If the British man really did perform an autopsy on her, he would have no medical explanation on how she was alive. He needed to persuade him to forget, he needed to persuade all of the men in this room to forget what happened and he needed to know who else knew what happened, who else knew Eden had _died._

Cade watched as the doctor began asking questions and how Eden beamed once the doctor shared a similar name to President Roosevelt. Cade then reminisced momentarily on his time with Alice, a girl he knew years ago, daughter of an important man bearing the same last name; Cade shook his head and focused on Eden. He then noticed her face pale momentarily, her thoughts were all over the place. Eden then turned to face Cade and he gave her a small nod, she pursed her lips and tried to regain her focus when the doctor continued his questioning. Cade began to think of a way to sneak Eden out of here to make sure she fed without raising suspicion.

“May I ask a question of my own?”

Cade heard her voice. Heard the softness and wariness in her tone, how different she sounded when talking to strangers. When she talked to him or anyone she knew, Eden was loud and certain, demanding and in control. And yet when she talked to strangers, her voice was soft, low and her attitude as well; it was like she was a whole different person and Cade found that amusing. She was a very sneaky individual and he loved it about her. Still, the thought that he would never hear her voice again felt like a sudden sucker punch to his gut. He almost visibly flinched with the imaginary pain. If he hadn’t gone through with his plan for the past few months, Eden would probably be on that table right now, chest wide open and pale and frozen to the touch. He exhaled momentarily in relief and begged that Eden would understand him when he explained his reasons to her.

“I was tired and Cade stayed behind to party while I walked home. I had my phone on me and kept it on loud all night and so did Cade. I-”

Eden paused as her face began to change. Cade then realized she was remembering the details she left out from earlier. Her eyes searched him immediately and then she broke down in tears, immediately she was in his arms. He felt so much anger; it didn’t matter who had hurt her, who had left her for dead. He was about to tear him, her or whoever hurt her, **_piece by piece._**

“I remember what happened,” Eden said, muffled into his chest as tears stained his shirt but he didn’t give a damn. “Cade, Dear God, I remember how I died!”

He stiffened. Oh, whoever did this was about to pay dearly, real **soon**! Cade took a step back to face Eden, wiping her tears with a tenderness he forgot he possessed. He almost forgot the men in the room behind him but his sole focus was on Eden, on her well being and safety. Her mouth opened to say something but instead, she lurched forward as if she had been struck and placed a hand on her head and groaned, whining in pain. Her eyes were on him the next moment and her pupils contracted and dilated. He instantly recognized the signs.

_’She needs to feed._ **_NOW_ ** _!′_

Eden then looked past the men and licked her lips, to them it might have seemed as a seductive move, to Cade it meant she was about to slam right past him and devour whoever was closest.

He had to act fast.

Cade then looked at Eden and saw her try to struggle from his grip but he made sure to place all his strength to her small frame.

“Excuse me men, but could you step outside once more? My sister and I need to talk.”

Eden growled. It was an inhuman sound and the men did a double-take.

“Mr. Havillion, we would appreciate that you allow us to continue our conversation with your sister. She has answers we need and we were hoping to identify her attackers, to seek justice for what was done to her.” Agent Oliver explained in a calm manner although his voice was rough and demanding.

He seemed to not want to take _No_ for an answer. And if the circumstances were different, Cade would appreciate his tenacity and dedication, but right now? Those men needed to get out if they wanted to stay alive.

Cade then turned to face the men. “Please.” Oh, how he hated that word. It felt like acid in his mouth. “I need time with my sister. Please, three minutes or so should be enough. It’s important.”

The men saw the sadness in his eyes, years of practice gave Cade the edge of being able to act and pretend when convenient. Agent Green wanted to argue but suddenly felt a hand on his shoulder, Dr. Teddy was calling Green’s attention.

“Oliver, surely you must comprehend the situation we’re dealing with. Give them a few moments, it’s all they are asking for. The young woman was dead and now she’s alive and well on my table. Her brother is protecting her well being, surely you wouldn’t do the same in his shoes?” His voice was warm yet cautious, like a father speaking to his child on how to be prim and proper.

Oliver allowed his shoulders to relax for a second before nodding and walking out the door, Mr. Hudson following closely behind. But Dr. Teddy remained inside a moment longer a small smile on his weathered face. He radiated kindness, warmth, and compassion, Cade felt a bit relieved when the other two walked out but remained wary when he remained inside. His green eyes showed comprehension, they were soft and welcoming as did his smile. The wrinkles on his face were prominent as were the round black glasses on his face. He seemed like a kind grandfather you could tell all your troubles to, the kind that would always give the best advice.

“She doesn’t have much time, does she?”

That snapped Cade from his thoughts. “Excuse me?”

“I recognize the signs, dear boy. The child is transforming. She’s turning. I’ve seen too much in my day to not recognize what’s in front of me.” He said in a calm manner. “I wish to help. I would not like to see another young individual on my table, removed from this world at an age too soon. Now listen carefully to what I have to say.”

Cade felt a hint of relief but his guard was up. He simply nodded; Eden was then struggling from his hold, trying to reach the man in front of her and eat him whole.

“Do you see the metal door behind me? Inside there are various bags of blood. The fresher ones are on the left and the older ones are on the right. Give her as many as you want, I’ll make sure you’re not found out. Just please hurry before she goes berserk and attacks someone.” The doctor said with a sudden urgency in his tone.

Cade didn’t hesitate before he dragged Eden towards the door behind the doctor all while she struggled to ram into the kind Dr. Teddy.

“Eden, I know what you’re going through but you can’t touch him. He’s helping us!” Cade reasoned as he dragged her struggling body away.

“But I’m **_Hungry_**!” Eden shouted as she continued struggling.

She started kicking but didn’t get far when Cade threw her over his shoulder and sped into the room the doctor mentioned, locking the door behind him. Eden was banging on the door while Cade made it to the glass refrigerator holding multiple blood bags. He just grabbed the top one on the shelf and slammed it into Eden’s hands. Eden managed to flinch for a moment before realizing what she had in her hands. The next minute, her lips and fangs were tearing into the bag, drinking the blood as if it were water. She actually managed to drink the entire bag without spilling a drop. The minute the bag was empty, she threw it, it landed perfectly in the sink nearby. Eden then stared at the wall behind Cade, her eyes glued to the dark wall behind them. Cade was left wondering what was going to happen; a newly turned vampire was supposed to drink blood straight from the vein, they digested it better but there have been cases where a substitute was used. In Eden’s case, her eyes were focused on the wall until they glazed over and she suddenly became lightheaded, landing on her knees before Cade could catch her. Her face paled, her pupil dilating rapidly and the veins in her arms and head bulging. She lurched forwards, her hands supporting her weight as her body began to heave.

Cade was freaking out!

This had never happened before, as far as he could remember. The most common thing new vampires did was drink and continue until they were forcibly removed from the prey. Instead, Eden was down on her fours and heaving. Nothing was coming from her mouth, but a disturbing sound was emanating from her throat. Then she raised her head and her eyes turned a neon green right before Cadmus’s eyes. Normally, vampire eyes remained the same color the individual had before they were turned. Example: if the person’s eyes were brown before, they would remain brown; if they had heterochromia, they would remain with heterochromia. Instead, Eden’s eyes had gained a neon green hue... which quickly faded into silver and then turned violet before turning back into brown. Then she collapsed.

Cade was by her side the next second, trying to find an impossible pulse. But he managed anyways, and placed her on her back and lay her on his lap. He was holding her so damn tightly and for a moment he felt fear. What if after realizing that she was a vampire, she decided she didn’t want to continue this lifestyle? What if she left him alone? What if she hated him? Cade swallowed before hugging her tightly to his chest, his head laying across her shoulder and breasts. It was not meant to be sexual, he just wanted to hear her heartbeat more closely, he assured himself.

A sudden gasp escaped Eden’s mouth and Cade quickly pulled back to face her. She kept blinking repeatedly, trying to adjust her eyesight to her environment. Then her brown eyes landed on Cade and recognition flared in them.

“Cade?” She whispered.

He simply nodded before assaulting her in a bone-crushing hug. He didn’t want to let go. But he knew he had to, the men outside would come back inside at any moment, and continue peppering both Eden and himself with questions. Eden opened her mouth to possibly ask questions but Cade shook his head, she paused and then nodded slowly. Silently, both of them stood up and exited the metal doors all while Eden felt the noises and sights around her begin to unnerve her. Cadmus noticed her trepidation and wariness to her surroundings as she walked back to a nearby chair. She then noticed Dr. Teddy standing in the room, a warm smile on his face.

“And how does our young patient feel now that she’s _rejuvenated_?” He added with a grin that seemed to hold a million secrets.

Eden looked at him, sensing his kindness and warmth. “I feel better... thank you. But I have to ask, how are you not unnerved by this? I mean, I scared myself while I was in the cof- I mean-” She then looked at the area she woke up in. “Refrigerators.”

“Years of being in this world has taught me a few things about what hides in the dark. I’m about to step outside and call the men back inside. They, on the other hand, know nothing about your new- _rebirth_ \- so please, let’s keep this secret among ourselves.”

Eden nodded and Cade was instantly by the doctor’s side. “I don’t know how to thank you, sir.” And for once he meant it.

“Just make sure she stays out of trouble and away from danger.” The doctor said as he placed a hand on Cade’s shoulder before slowly making his way outside.

Eden was left in her spot, looking around her. The numerous sounds she heard didn’t just limit to inside the room. Oh no! She heard heartbeats, she could hear mechanisms, she could hear whispering and she could hear other noises she couldn’t exactly identify. Cade saw her cowering in her spot, looking at the room around her.

“Eden?”

Her eyes snapped towards him. “I want you to focus on me, and my voice. I want you to relax and breathe. Breathe and focus on the sound of my voice, on the tone and focus on my posture. Just focus on me.”

Eden did as Cade said and ignored everything in the room except Cade. Then he was by her side, his hand on her shoulder. Eden continued focusing on him until everything around her became background noise until she could hear her own undead heartbeat.” Eden? I know this is sudden but, I need to know what happened tonight. And before you can argue, it’s necessary. I need to know who did this to you and I’m asking your permission to see your memories. Do you mind if I take a look?”

Eden swallowed, seemingly against the idea but agreed to Cadmus’s suggestion, nonetheless. Cade offered a small smile before placing a hand on her cheek and closing his eyes, and so did she. Images and memories burst into Cade’s mind like bubbles being popped all at once. He tried to focus on the most recent memories and vivid images Eden had to offer until he found the events of what happened after she left the last party. He saw Eden, saw what she did, who she met, where she went, what she ate. He lived and breathed it as if he were living those memories at the same moment she was; very vividly. When Cade reached the end of Eden’s memories, he flinched, quickly taking a step back as if he had been burned. The look on Eden’s face indicated she relived that same memory at that moment too. With seeing the look on Eden’s face, Cade felt a sudden surge of pure rage emanate from him. He knew exactly who he was looking for and where they lived and as soon as they were out of this building, he was coming for them!

Cade’s fangs suddenly burst forth, as if he could already feel the necks of the men who hurt Eden in his grasp. He then saw her fascination with his fangs and made his own retract. “When we leave, we’ll have a long talk. I’ll train you. Anything you ask me, I’ll give it to you. I hope you know that.”

Eden then took a step forward. “I do know that. I know exactly who you are and I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t believe you or trust you, Cadmus.” She then smiled hopefully; and then she remembered the men outside. “What do I say to them when they ask me about last night or how I’m alive?”

Cade considered. “Well, we know the doctor is on our side, so maybe he’ll think of a reasonable explanation regarding your reawakening. But as for the...” Cade was gritting his teeth, he didn’t even want to finish his sentence, he could feel his rage bubble to the surface. “Don’t give them accurate descriptions of where they lived or what they looked like. Just say that you can’t remember or it’s too traumatizing to think about and when Amaia and Ivory get here, the-”

“Wait, **what**? Amaia and Ivy are on their way?!” Eden sounded alarmed.

“Yes. I told them what happened and they are on their way, right now as we speak.” Cade said calmly although he knew what would potentially await him. “But listen, when they get here, we’ll deal with your situation accordingly and properly. But for now, these people can’t know anything about what happened last night. Got it?”

“Got it,” Eden responded before the sliding doors opened and in came the three men, with Agent Green leading the small pack.

“I hope you feel better, Miss Colton. But I would feel much better knowing that I can catch the animals that hurt you. I need your help, Eden. Help me catch the person or people responsible for putting you here.” Agent Green said as he slowly made his way towards Eden.

Eden almost felt the need to tell him the truth but decided against it. She knew she had to act, to pretend and so pretend she did. She then lowered her head, facing the ground, pretending to take deep breaths. “I’m so sorry Agent Green. I don’t think I can be of much help. See, the minute I left the party in our neighborhood, I was assaulted from behind and drugged. The only thing I remember is a big hand covering my mouth and nose and feeling incredibly dizzy and tired shortly afterward. That’s the last thing I remember. I want to be of help but that’s all I can offer. I’m so sorry!” And in a second, Eden managed to produce tears, one rolled freely down her cheek.

Agent Green frowned but simply placed a soft hand on Eden’s head and rubbed affectionately. “It’s alright. I understand the circumstances now of how you are here.”

Eden stiffened but remained ‘in character’. “What do you mean, ‘you know the circumstances?’”

Agent Green stood straight and turned to Dr. Teddy. “Teddy explained that you have a condition, rare medical condition which affects your entire system. That it was originally found for the first time in India years ago, that they called it, **_Piśāca_**. And since then, it’s spread to people of Indian descent or something along those lines. So no worries.”

Eden simply nodded, as if she knew exactly what Agent Green was saying. She didn’t but then she turned to the doctor and smiled at him and he, in turn, smiled, nodding. Eden then placed a hand on Cade.

“Well, now that you know that my sister is lamentably unable to help you, is she free to go?” Cade cut in.

Agent Green turned to Cadmus and then returned to Eden. “You are, but I _will_ keep in contact with both of you. Teddy has given me his approval, saying your sister is in perfect health. So yes, you’re free to go. I’ll escort you out.”

Eden and Cade exited the Autopsy room and entered the crowded elevator, not knowing the path they had chosen. Not knowing how one simple decision would affect their lives...

**_so drastically._ **

**|AC-Rodriguez|**


	6. fiVe

As they finally gathered onto the elevator, Eden grabbed Cade’s hand, determined to not let go.

She was worried about a great number of things, like the sudden arrival of Ivy and Amaia, the fact that she was now a vampire, how her life would be affected by it, how she would get revenge on the men who laid hands on her and how and _why_ she should trust Dr. Teddy. But the main problem loomed above her- how was she expected to explain to everyone else who saw her, how she was alive?

She heard from Agent Green that a number of employees in the building had shown concern to her demise and her case, given how they found her body. She didn’t really want to discover how she was found but nagged Dr. Teddy enough that he told her the gory details. Cade was furious, to the extent she could have sworn he growled inhumanely.

But before they headed into the elevator, Eden was introduced to Mr. Hudson, spoke to Agent Green about the case and was told they had to go to the level above the Autopsy region, the Forensic Science Division. Some blood-work and other necessary data Eden had, was to be provided immediately before Cade and Eden left FGCSI. Eden grasped Cadmus’s hand tightly as the doors to the elevator opened, providing a view of a hallway, the hazardous lime green walls provided nausea to Eden’s gut. Who chose such an ugly color for a federal building? Shaking her head, Eden focused on the corridor. The lime green made her think of puke, there were no windows but there was a metal door at the end of the hallway that was wide open. The sound of music emanated from the room, it was a thrumming guitar solo which led to a female singing in a low voice.

((Link to the song https://youtu.be/k7YXu4h5b_I

_The President Has A Sex Tape))_

Before Eden was even allowed to exit the elevator, she and Cade were thoroughly warned to be polite to the head forensic scientist of FGCSI. Apparently ‘Will’ was an eccentric individual, superbly intelligent but bizarre and ' _quirky'._ They were warned that if _she_ didn’t like them the first time she met them, Cade and Eden should not be offended. Eden had nodded to the explanation without a second thought. After all, she was standing beside a vampire and she too had become a member of the undead, what could possibly trump that?

So when Eden walked through the threshold of the Forensic Science Division, she did a double-take as her mouth gradually opened. Around the room, the colors black and blue seemed to clash. There were machines of all sorts humming and flashing around the room, the music was adding an ethereal feeling; the walls were blue, a dark navy blue, but in some areas the blue seemed so dark, it was black.

Standing in front of a computer, was a woman who seemed more out of place than the scene they were in. Eden was expecting a person who looked like they ate black eyeliner and chokers for breakfast; not a breathtaking, Egyptian themed wearing, green-eyed model. It seemed the music and the atmosphere in the room did not match with the pretty woman dressed as Cleopatra, wearing 7-inch gladiator stiletto heels. When she sensed, _because she couldn’t have possibly heard their arrival with the loud music blaring,_ their entrance, 'Will' turned to face the metal door. Her naturally black hair was nearly hidden under a golden 'crown' of sorts, themed to look like a snake was perched on her head.

The dress itself was also gold with hints of black, hugging her tightly and accentuating her curves, while her green kohl-lined eyes were fixated on Eden and company. She frowned for a moment, as if not understanding what was going on before her eyes caught Eden’s and they bulged. First, she took a step back into her workspace, then she turned around to the huge screen behind her; there was a picture of Eden taped to the swing set beside another picture of Eden smiling brightly while hugging Cadmus, Ivy making faces in the background. She then returned to Eden, her lips beginning to quiver.

Eden was about to say something, anything at this point when she finally heard one of the verses of the song.

_‘Look at who’s having the fun, Easy to smile when you’re pointing the gun.’_

Eden took a step back, bumping into Cade, who then grabbed Eden’s shoulder’s, keeping her steady.

“For crying out loud, Willowdean! Turn off that music!” Dr. Teddy complained.

“Teddy!” ‘Will’-owdean replied, a complaint forming in her voice. “This is my workstation, this is my music. I like it! Now please explain to me what’s going on and how is _this_ happening?!”

Her voice had a childlike tone, just like her argument, but nonetheless, Eden refrained from saying anything as she observed the female in front of her.

Agent Green walked over to the radio, lowering the volume of the song just in time for Eden to hear the song end. “I think introductions are in order. Willowdean Cahill, meet our... _patient_ , Eden Colton and her half- brother Cadmus Havillion. Eden and Cade, FGCSI’s forensic specialist, Willowdean.”

Eden offered a small wave as Willowdean took a slight step forward, then grabbed a crucifix hanging above her computer screen and waved it over Eden. “I don’t mean to be rude but, I have clear pictures behind me that show that you were dead. And even though I’m not scared of zombies, I beg that you don’t eat my friends’ brains.” Her request sounded genuine, and Eden almost felt like laughing.

That’s when Dr. Teddy stepped in. “Willow, have you ever heard of a rare condition called _Piśāca_?”

Cade listened to Dr. Teddy explain in detail about Eden’s ‘condition’. He knew the Dr. was making it up, but it impressed him on how the elderly man seemed to convince everyone about this imaginary disease. The young scientist’s face contorted first in confusion, before turning into apprehension until finally understanding. Cade gave her a quick once over, once she returned to her computer.

He knew Halloween had technically ended a few hours ago, but he appreciated her dedication to remaining in a costume while at work... and the gold and tightness of the dress did her wonders. He was admiring her hungrily when he felt a hand touch him and a voice was heard clearly in his head. ' _Keep your pants on Cowboy, you might not feel it but Agent Green is giving you some dirty looks.′_

Cade grinned but didn’t mentally reply to Eden. It seemed she was already learning how to use their abilities in such a short amount of time. Still, he felt the need the admire the ‘art’ standing in front of him. Then the ‘art’ turned around and ran towards Eden and hugged her tightly.

“I’m so sorry about what you experienced. Having such an abnormal condition is one thing, being the victim of murder and desecration is another. I’m just so sorry.” Willowdean all but wailed as she hugged Eden.

Eden then stiffened in the girl’s grasp. Not because of the unexpected hug, but because of what she said. “Excuse me, could you repeat that?” Eden said softly but firmly. “Did you just say, ' _desecration?_ ′

Cade also stiffened. He felt the desire to leave this building immediately. There was going to be hell to pay. He took a step back while the girls hugged.

Willowdean pulled away and looked at Eden. “Yeah, didn’t anybody tell you?” Her face was neutral, her voice too but a glint of confusion was set in her eyes. “Based on my findings, you were murdered, two stab wounds, one slash across the throat. Post Mortem, A.K.A. after you died, your body experienced multiple lacerations, to your chest, your back and wrists and a few others to your legs and neck. They aren’t deep and there wasn’t blood but there was a lot of bruising.” She then turned back to the computer. “It seems one of those beasts is a necrophiliac.”

Eden took a step back, and once again bumped into Cade. His grasp on her shoulders became steel, and she almost winced, but her mind was now gone. She didn’t hear the scolding Willowdean was getting from the agents and she didn’t hear the apology Willow offered, she only heard the sound of multiple hearts thumping. She couldn’t think of anything or anyone. She didn’t even react when Cade flipped her over to face him and she certainly didn’t react when he placed her face in his hands. Her reaction finally came when he screamed in her mind.

 _'Snap out of it!'_ She jumped in her spot, her eyes regaining focus. ' _The minute we leave this building, we’re having a long talk. And we will deal with this situation head-on, but for now, I need your focus on reality.′_

Eden blinked repeatedly before slowly nodding. She began to breathe hard, although she didn’t need to- just doing it for the hell of it. As she slowly hyperventilated, she began shoving all the emotions back. The anger, the shock, the sadness, the remorse, and the confusion.

It all went down, down in the back of Eden’s mind. Far away.

When she finally felt that she had a grip on her situation, she turned back to everyone around her. She nodded once again to Cadmus before extending her arm towards Willowdean.

“I heard you needed some blood?” was all Eden replied.

_•_

A few minutes afterward, they were in the elevator again. More somber and quiet than before. Still, Eden was determined to not let her emotions show. She wanted to walk out of this building with her head held high and instilling fear and dread into those she met. And she actually managed.

Agent Green was about to walk them out of the building, but he needed to contact his team first before they were allowed to leave; so Eden, Cade, Oliver G., and Dr. Teddy minus a lanky Mr. Hudson, all reached the _Bullpen_. It was what Green called the area where all the field agents and investigators worked. At the wee hours of 2:34 am, it was mostly deserted; except for Green’s team, where he leads with an iron fist, Teddy joked.

When the elevator opened, it revealed a bright yellow room that burned Eden’s eyes. Whose idea was it to give the building such nauseating and eyesore of colors?! Cade hissed too; the only sound he’d made in a while before they all followed Agent Green towards the center of the bullpen. His area had 5 desks evenly spaced around that section, two large screens on both sides of their area, and a decent pathway across the 5 desks. The biggest desk was obviously Oliver’s, with him being in charge. There was a desk on his right where a male sat, the scent of his warm coffee hit Eden’s nose; the sole female sat across from him, a small dagger in her hands as she read some paperwork and on her right sat a younger man with a lollipop in his mouth, typing rapidly on his keyboard.

Agent Green didn’t greet his agents, he simply said, “Feedback!” With all the authority he had.

The man with the coffee was taking a sip and turned to Agent Green first. “Well Chief, we f- ** _WHAT_**?!” And then he was coughing on his drink. He choked, almost spat his drink, and then proceeded to shriek while pointing at Eden repeatedly. **“HOW IS SHE ALIVE?! WE BROUGHT HER HERE DEAD! WHAT IS GOING ON?! IS THIS SOME KIND OF JOKE?!”**

His companions shared his shock in silence, except for the female who immediately began to **_sign the cross_** on herself repeatedly while murmuring in Spanish and staring intently on Eden. The youngest man simply dropped his lollipop and opened his eyes wide before fainting on his keyboard, the keys got stuck and kept typing on the screens behind them. The letter E made three rows before the youngest agent’s head was moved aside by Green. “Aw, Geez McLean! Get a grip!” Oliver groaned.

Eden felt like chuckling but simply allowed a neutral look form on her face. She stared at the three individuals intently, until her eyes landed on the man with coffee. Wordlessly, she walked towards him as he rolled back in his wheeled chair and collided with Green’s desk. He was muttering for her to get away from him but Eden simply wiped a stray drop of coffee from his chin and placed it on her lips, tasting.

“Your coffee is too sweet. Did you use 3 packs of sugar?”

The man watched her with wide eyes, first because she touched him and she was warm, not cold; two, she actually licked his coffee; third... did he need another reason? He swallowed with difficulty before turning to Cade, who was straight-up smirking, that fueled his resolve.

“I need sugar to stay awake.” He replied, glancing at her, his hazel eyes following her every move.

Eden nodded. Then she extended her other hand. “Eden Colton, sorry for the weird and uncommon introduction. And you are?”

The man stared at her hand and then back at her before slowly extending his hand towards her. “Very Special Agent, Grayson Vicente. Ni-nice to meet you, E-... _Eden_.”

Eden beamed. “Nice to meet you too. Sorry for the scare. I think Dr. Teddy will give you all the answers you need.” She said as she walked towards the lady with the dagger in her hand, who now held it an offensive position.

Eden blinked. “Nice blade. My cousin has one in bronze. Is yours a tactical hunting knife or a combat dagger?”

That broke the wariness in the female’s voice momentarily, revealing a wonderful accent Eden couldn’t identify. “It _is_ a hunting knife. You have a good eye.” She offered Eden a small smile and a handshake. “Kharis Ζολτάρε (Zoltháre; Zol- TA-reh), I am Greek. Pleased to make your acquaintance, despite the circumstances.”

Eden smiled, she remembered her Greek friends but she preferred to keep that information to herself. Then she walked to the fainted agent who was beginning to come too. His lollipop was now stuck to his face and his eyes were half-open; still, he slowly sat straight while rubbing them. Eden made sure to stay directly in his line of vision as he regained his bearings. But when he laid eyes on her again, he almost fainted.

“Hey!” Eden snapped and that made the young man stay awake, unknowingly using her persuasion.

Cade’s eyebrows actually rose in amazement at how quickly and fluidly she was using her powers; if she was capable of learning this fast, there wasn’t going to be much he needed to teach her.

“What’s your name?” Eden asked the fearful young man. He wasn’t shaking but she could hear his heartbeat increase drastically. “I know that you saw me dead but I’m sure Teddy can give you an explanation while I speak with your boss... once you introduce yourself.”

The young man blinked and touched his face, finding his lollipop on his left cheek. He blushed deeply before lowering his eyes to his keyboard.

“Aren’t you going to answer, **McFainter**?” The coffee choker, Grayson asked.

Eden frowned but stopped herself from turning around, and that taunt made the young man react. “Special Agent Keith McLean.”

She nodded. “Eden Colton LaFayette.” And then she looked at Teddy who then gathered the agents’ attention before Green could say anything. They turned to him, offering an explanation while Eden spoke to Green. “Am I allowed to leave now?” She asked. “I would really like to head home. I don’t know what else you need and I don’t plan on staying the night here if that’s what you were about to suggest.”

Oliver opened his mouth then closed it, pondering in thought before giving Eden an answer, and called Cadmus to step closer. “If I were to call you guys, sometime around the week to discuss in greater detail about the case, would you come?”

Eden looked at Cade and they both agreed.

“Well then, I hope you’ll keep your word. Let me walk you out.” He said while pointing at an elevator on the other side of the room, different from the one Eden and Cade rode minutes before. Then he turned to his workers. “Seeing as this is a weird and unexpected case, head home. Get some rest. Don’t come back until you feel like you can handle any surprises thrown your way. But don’t take too long coming back, this isn’t going to be a vacation. A day and a half off, at most. But I hope to find more information about this case or a breakthrough in our other cases when you come back!”

And then Oliver was grabbing his coat, leading Cade and Eden towards the elevator. She could hear the others muttering under their breath but chose to ignore them as they rode the elevator in a weird but acceptable silence.

Shortly, Cade and Eden waved Agent Oliver goodbye as they headed towards the visitor’s parking lot, looking for the “LeMans Blue” 1968 Chevy Corvette convertible that Cadmus owned. When she laid eyes on the car, she felt a sense of normalcy return as she slid a hand across the car, old paint sticking to her fingers.

“Hey! Watch the paint! I’m not getting it painted until next month!” Cade complained, before slightly grinning and climbing into his car.

Eden rolled her eyes before climbing aboard and slamming the door behind her. She then felt a slamming pain in her head, as if she had just been stabbed. She lurched forward and whined, Cade was on her a second later.

“Are you okay? What’s wrong?”

Eden whined. “My head hurts! I-I feel like... my brain is melting.”

Cade held her tight and rocked her slightly, for this sort of reaction was extremely uncommon on newly turned vamps. He was at loss for words. When the wave of pain left, Eden placed a hand on Cade’s arm and motioned him to drive.

Cade sighed before turning the ignition and the machine roared to life. The muffler pistoled once before Cade stick shifted the car into drive and peeled away, making his way steadily back home. Eden laid her head on the charcoal-colored seats, riding the headaches; however, she didn’t expect images to surface with the headaches.

She began to rub her head and then she was lost in her own mind.

An image.

A memory played in her head, clear as day.

A boy, with eyes the color of honey, hair as dark as the night, lips in shape of Cupid’s bow and a grin that made her weak in the knees. He was saying something Eden couldn’t make out at first, but then she realized what he was saying, and it went like this.

|•|

_Eden was happy._

_No._

_She was euphoric._

_Mistrayim Sawyer was driving his broken-down Ford pickup down the R- 442 road, heading back home. They had just had a wonderful date which involved a horror film, some pasta for dinner and a late-night trip to the local mall. Eden hugged her newest teddy bear tightly to her chest, playing with its long ears as Mischief, as he preferred to be called, sang. Mischief promised to always get her a new bear every time they went out, he knew how much she loved them and how much they meant to her. So he insisted on getting her a different one every time they went to Build a Bear; by now, all the workers knew his and her name, despite not being employed there._

_Still, Eden loved the fact that Mischief didn’t judge her love of plushies or stuffed animals. It was actions like these that made her love him more. 21-year-old Eden watched the rain heavily pour down on them as they drove back home, the sound of the radio creating a peaceful background. Mischief held her hand as he drove, rubbing circles on the back of her hand, his posture was relaxed and a grin was on his face, and Eden helplessly admired him, looking and memorizing every detail of him._

_“What is it?” Mischief asked, breaking the silence. “Do I have chocolate stuck on my face?” He then proceeded to wipe his cheek._

_“Not at all, I’m just admiring the beauty beside me,” Eden replied with a grin._

_Mischief chuckled, biting his lip which gave Eden’s gut a deep yet pleasant plunge. “Have you looked in the mirror lately? I’m dating the true beauty.” He then brought her hand to his mouth, placing a kiss._

_Eden giggled before rolling her eyes. “Thanks, mi amor. Now eyes on the road, it’s raining real hard.”_

_“Kind of hard keeping my eyes away from you.” Mischief commented before turning up the volume and slapping his palms on the steering wheel in beat to the song on the radio._

_Eden began humming along to the song just as they reached the traffic light. They were 10 minutes away from their home, Eden and Mischief Sawyer had been roommates since they started university, attending some classes together until they discovered their mutual passion for movies and graphic design. Eden originally planned on becoming a doctor, just like her cousin Amaia. So she had taken some classes and tried to keep a healthy balance with what she truly enjoyed, making animations and art._

_After discovering their love for art was mutual, Mischief and Eden discovered their love for each other was too. They were together 3 years strong with a year away from graduating. Eden hadn’t told Moira about Mischief, not because she didn’t think he wasn’t good enough for her or anything, but because Moira would have armed a fight if she knew that Eden was dating_ _at all._

_What Moira didn’t know, couldn’t kill her._

_Now, more than ever, Eden began to imagine her future with Mischief, becoming Mrs. Eden Sawyer, working in films and part-timing in animal shelters. And she was so ready for that future together. Mischief grabbed her hand once again, staring at Eden as the traffic light was red. He kissed her palm before bringing her hand to his chest, close to his heart, and then returned to the road._

_Eden smiled so deeply, she felt that her cheeks would fall off._

_If only she knew..._

_How quickly that smile would be wiped off her face._

_**Forever.** _

__

**|AC. Rodriguez|**


	7. sIx

_Eden smiled deeply as she watched the rain pour harder on their car, the sound similar to bullets, pelting the old pickup._

_Still, that sound was quickly drowned out when from behind, a speeding car hit their tail, moving the pickup forward into oncoming traffic. Eden surged forward and hit her head against the dashboard, her teddy falling to the ground. The screeching of the car behind was horrible, as was the sound of shattering glass. Mischief groaned momentarily, the seat-belts they wore preventing them from being vaulted out of the front window but allowed them to choke. Mischief was then touching her head, checking her for injuries and cursing as he saw her arm in an unnatural angle; he removed his belt to turn around to see the crashed car behind them._

_“That idiot almost killed us!” And then he was about to open the door to step outside, phone in hand to make a call._

_Eden didn’t have enough time to warn him about the other car speeding towards them on Mischief’s side before it impacted them as well. All Eden remembered was screaming before blacking out and the high-beams of the other car blinding her; she saw Mischief squashed into her left side, his body was facing towards the driver’s side, his entire left being pinned by the squashed door and car._

_She felt pain in her head, her arm was throbbing as she tried her best to stay awake and tried to reach for Mischief, who was face down on the steering wheel, blood pouring from his nose._

_She then felt her eyes grow heavy and feel into a deep sleep._

**_|•|_ **

_Eden woke up hours later in pain and confusion. She tried to open her mouth but felt that it was closed shut, her eyes felt heavy and she could smell the strong scent of bleach around her. The smell made her cough despite the pain, all-around she could see white walls and blinking lights. She tried to move her head but was unable to; that caused her to panic and so she screamed- or tried to. She didn’t comprehend that her mouth was closed and so her panic began to increase, that is until she felt a hand touch her. The hand was warm and large and she for a moment felt relief thinking it was Mischief’s until she remembered his crushed and bleeding body. She yelped into her throat and tried to move but the hand revealed it’s owner, Cadmus Havillion. His blue eyes locked onto her brown ones and sent a wave of relief her way. She wanted to talk, to say anything but she felt incapable of doing so._

_“Eden, can you hear me?” Cadmus asked, and she would have responded she could, with an additional ringing in her ears._

_His black leather jacket was strewn on his seat, his dark navy shirt wet and clinging to him. He then moved forward and touched her face, trying to gain her attention. “You can’t move your head because you have a brace on your neck, you sprained it in the accident. Your mouth has a tube in it because your left lung was slightly perforated during the accident and until it can heal, the tube will help you breathe. So, blink if you can hear me.”_

_Eden tried to concentrate on his voice, on the soft deepness of his tone and blinked once. Cade sighed in relief. And then Eden groaned and tried to say the words although she knew they were useless... so she tried to say ‘Mischief’ in the back of her throat, or make a sound similar to his name._

_It took a few tries until Cade finally recognized what she was saying. “Sawyer is in the operation room, he’s in an induced coma. His body suffered the most damage after he took off his seatbelt, the doctors are doing best they can.”_

_Eden tried to swallow but the tube didn’t help. So she groaned and felt tears roll down her cheeks._

_Why was this happening?_

_Eden struggled to remember what exactly happened but couldn’t concentrate, especially when the pain in her body was returning. Cade then grabbed her hand, dragging her attention back to him._

_“Amaia is here. She went to get some stuff from the car, Asher is here, not James; he’s off with_ **_her_ ** _.”_ _Cade explained as his eyes grew dark and his voice took a sharp tone, but then shook his head. "Anyway... I would have healed you by now, but Amaia said that would raise suspicion. I’m here because I was the closest and I owe Amaia a debt. But I remember you, and family of Amaia, is a friend of mine." He then paused, probably thinking about James. "Zephyr is on his way too, but you know he’s driving from Nevada and the trip from there to Kansas is very far.”_

_Eden blinked again in acknowledgment, although she just wanted everything to be over. If this was a nightmare, she wanted to wake up immediately. She tried to move her arms to feel around her but she then realized that her left arm was placed on a stint; it had been broken during the accident. Eden felt fresh tears pool at her eyes. What could she have possibly done to deserve this punishment?_

_She closed her eyes and then felt Cadmus touch her right arm again. “Do you remember what happened?”_

_She blinked once._

_“Since you can’t use your words, can you use your memory to show me what happened?”_

_Eden blinked again. Cade proceeded to grab her good hand tightly before allowing his mind to enter hers. She felt it, felt how his presence around her increased and simultaneously solidified in her mind._

_She showed him their date; the movie, the dinner, the visit to Build A Bear and then the drive home, but she tried to refrain from showing him the details of their conversation. It was only for her and Mischief to hear, despite knowing who Cade was and how friendly he was with her cousin, she felt like he was intruding in her privacy. So she tried to skip over their conversation as if she were fast-forwarding the memory until she reached the accident._

_She then relived everything in excruciating detail. The crash, the feeling, the sound, and the sudden panic. She felt momentarily detached, as if that event happened to someone else and not her and Mischief. She wanted to pretend that everything was alright, that this was another nightmare and she would wake up in Sawyer’s arms with Stitch licking Mischief or her face. But instead, when she opened her eyes, she saw white walls and Cade’s blue eyes._

_|~|_

_Cadmus groaned in his seat and sat back. He then steepled his fingers and stared at the white sheet covering her. He was here because Amaia had sounded frantic on the phone; she had begged him to come to the hospital in Lawrence immediately, her cousin Eden and her boyfriend were badly injured and she needed help. Vampire blood mixed with drops of a half-werewolf and half-witch were proven to heal all injury, even near-death ones. Cade, luckily was in Des Moines, Iowa when he received Amaia’s desperate call. He even called Emmery for back up; the elder vampire had more experience and more knowledge to impart._

_Shortly, Cade was at the hospital and making sure Eden was stabilized while Amaia tried everything in her power to make sure her cousin remained awake and alive. She needed only two ingredients, she claimed earlier, to proceed to heal Mischief. She was in the car with Asher, her older brother, searching for the mystical ingredient while Eden struggled in the hospital bed, hearing no news from Sawyer. She tried to mime to Cade to check on Mischief for her, but he was hesitant. If Amaia knew that for a few minutes, Cade had left her cousin’s side, he would never hear the end of it. So like a guard dog, Cadmus sat. He wanted to do something to help Eden, he could feel her pain, her sadness and her detachment from everything around her. Everything about her screamed to be left alone... maybe a few minutes in solitude would help?_

_Cade sat up and motioned to be gone for five minutes. Eden nodded; Cadmus stood up and remembered his wet shirt, not that he would feel cold but he felt the need to distract Eden, even for a second. So without warning, Cade ripped off his shirt and threw it on the chair he had occupied mere seconds ago and turned to Eden. Her face was pale for a moment before it turned bright red as she tried to look away, failing...until she just closed her eyes. The heart monitor connected to Eden skipped a beat, and that caused Cade to chuckle, seeing this as a small victory. He then grabbed his jacket and zipped it up, before walking out of her room. The hospital was quiet on this floor but he could hear from other rooms the sounds of monitors going off and multiple heartbeats._

_Oh, how he hated hospitals! Sure, there was plenty of victims to choose from, and they were free for the taking like his own personal buffet; but the smell of vomit and in some rare cases, pus and rotted flesh beyond its expiration date, made Cade want to stay away from hospitals best he could. Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, Cade headed towards the nurse’s station, catching the eyes of multiple ladies, who then vied for his attention. Cade offered them a saucy grin before asking about Sawyer’s condition and if there was any news._

_He was about to get an answer when he heard loud footsteps behind him, and he turned to see Asher’s towering presence and tiny Amaia standing beside him, an old fashion medical bag in her left hand, a few feet away. Amaia’s face was set in a grim line when she laid eyes on Cade but said nothing while 6′5, Asher Bloodphyre simply sent 6', Cadmus an acknowledging nod. The nurse finally provided an answer by the time Amaia arrived at the station. She simply stated that they should see the doctor attending Sawyer, but in the tone the nurse spoke, made it seem the worse had happened._

_Asher was left with Eden while Cade and Amaia set off to find the attending doctor. After spending 12 minutes finding the right one, Amaia finally asked for Mischief’s condition._

_The doctor swallowed in silence, he couldn’t bear to break the news, seeing how the young female in front of him looked exactly like the girl in room 205._

_“Are you related to one of the patients?” The doctor asked, buying himself a few seconds to compose himself, to break the bad news._

_“Yes, I’m the female’s cousin, her name is Eden Colton, I’m Amaia Bloodphyre. Her father and my mother are siblings. But that doesn’t matter, what matters is that Sawyer is alright.”_

_The doctor sighed. “I hate to break the news but Mr. Sawyer did not survive the surgery... not only did his lungs collapse during the surgery but he lost more blood than we could transfuse; when we finally managed to get everything under control, we induced him into a coma, but shortly afterward we realized too late that his brain had internal swelling and bleeding. An epidural hematoma. We didn’t realize it until it was too late, we tried to resuscitate him...” The doctor finally swallowed. “Mistrayim Sawyer was called dead 17 minutes ago. He is on his way to the morgue as we speak. I’m sorry, but we tried the best we could.” The doctor sighed once more before walking away._

_Amaia was left shocked in her spot._

_No, this couldn't have happened... correction, this **SHOULDN'T** have happened._

_She then realized that she could have saved him._

_She realized that if she hadn’t gone to the car, wasted those minutes trying to find something that could have_ _potentially_ _saved him, she could have used her blood with Cade’s and_ _actually_ _save him._

_Amaia didn’t remember when she fell to the ground on her knees. She didn’t remember or felt the tears roll down her cheeks, but she only felt Cadmus’s strong hands grab her and set her down the nearest chair, holding her hand tightly, crouching in front of her._

_“Oh my god.” She said in a broken voice, breathing shallowly. “I- I failed her. I failed him..._ **_HE WAS GOING TO PROPOSE TO HER TONIGHT!”_ **

_Cade, who always managed to keep calm and cool under stressful situations, actually managed to recoil at both her tone and the sudden information. He held Amaia’s hand tightly. “Is there anything we can do? Any hoodoo or witch magic we can do?” His voice was low as he spoke, making sure to not draw extra attention._

_Amaia shook her head. “No. Once the soul or spirit of the dead is gone, way past the 7 minutes threshold, it can’t be recovered. Even if we necromancy his body, he would be soulless. He wouldn’t be the man Eden knew. There’s no way to get him back.” Her tone and the way she said it meant that it was final._

_Mistrayim, Mischief, Sawyer was gone and he was never..._

_coming back._

_Amaia didn’t care as she suddenly clung to Cadmus and cried into his jacket. The pain she felt for her cousin and the heartbreak the girl would feel when she came across the news... she couldn’t imagine it. But she knew she had to tell Eden. But she held Cade as hard as she could, trying to let the pain wash away with her tears._

_She would do it._

_Amaia would break the news to Eden, and she would console Eden and whatever her cousin asked, she would do. She owed her younger cousin. She owed Mischief. Then she let go of Cade, grabbing his shoulders, trying to regain a semblance of composure._

_“You’re too good, Cade. We aren’t on the best of terms right now but still when I called, you came.” Amaia said with a chuckle. “But I have to ask you one thing, hopefully, it won’t be much for you.”_

_Cade stared at Amaia, considering what she would say before he motioned her to continue. “If it’s possible, and within you, to help me deal with Eden? I know you probably want nothing to do with this situation, but your help right now would be sorely appreciated.”_

_Cade expected a bomb, an out of this world request, not something so simple from Amaia. “It won’t be a problem. I won’t leave until you tell me to.”_

_Amaia wiped her cheeks, laughing a bit. “I just don’t know what is worse. The fact that Eden lost Mischief without knowing he was going to propose **or** losing him and telling her what he was going to do.”_

_Cade stood up and offered his arm. “I think it’s best we don’t tell her. It’ll break her, even more, knowing that he had plans to propose.”_

_Amaia nodded. “Let’s head back.”_

_And quietly and as confident as they could, Amaia and Cadmus entered back into Amaia’s room. Asher was holding Eden’s hand, comforting her and telling her some of his adventures with James. He became quiet when he saw Amaia and Cadmus; he discreetly looked for Amaia and when she shook her head, his face dropped but Eden couldn’t see him._

_He took a step back and Amaia and Cade took his place, they locked the door to Eden’s room and fed her their combined blood; they removed the tube, the stint and all the cables attached to Eden, including the heart monitor. Eden choked a few times before finally using her words and asking the “question”._

_Amaia grabbed both Cade’s and Asher’s hands, squeezing before revealing Mischief’s... demise._

_Eden swallowed. Then she shuddered. She then shook her head, slowly then aggressively._

_“No.”_

_“Eden-.” Amaia began._

_"_ **_NO_ ** _!” The word was a savage and guttural scream. ”_ **_No, no, no!”_ **

_Amaia let go of the boys and walked slowly to her cousin’s side, treading lightly as if Eden were a startled dear or an angry lion, ready to pounce. “I’m sorry.” She whispered._

_Eden saw the look on her cousin’s face and heard the pain behind her words before she broke down in tears. “He can’t be gone.” She said as she finally broke down too. “We we’re graduating this year, we were going to start our life together... he wouldn’t leave me.”_

_Amaia didn’t hesitate any longer before she threw her arms around her cousin and allowed her cousin to cry freely, hitting her in the back as she cried. Amaia was strong, Eden’s feeble hits didn’t hurt her. But what_ _did_ _hurt her was knowing the truth about Mischief’s plans but she vowed to keep that to herself. When Eden finally calmed down, the biggest scowl was etched on her face._

_“I can’t do it.”_

_“What?” Amaia asked._

_“I can’t live like this. Dramatic as it sounds, I can’t live without him. I can’t go back home and return to my life knowing he won’t be there.” Eden formed her hands into fists. “I can’t and I won’t. Anything would be better than this. This pain. This misery. This loneliness.”_

_She trembled as she spoke. Her voice quaked and broke despite the determination and edge she was trying to convey. She looked at Cade and Amaia. “I want you to erase this. I want to erase my memories.”_

_Cade actually took a step forward, the words already forming in his mouth, ready to say No._

_Amaia spoke first. “Why would you do that?”_

_“BECAUSE I DON’T WANT TO FEEL BROKEN! I can’t help feeling alone anymore! I lost the love of my life. I lost my father.” She almost growled the words. “I can’t continue living with that pain. I don’t want to feel it, I don’t want to feel like **this**.”_

_Then she shook her head, her voice becoming calmer. “Please. Lock the memories away, erase them or do whatever you think is necessary but, I don’t want to ever remember this. I love him and knowing that I will have to wake up every day without him... I can’t do it.” And then she was in tears once more, she placed her hands on her face, pressing them to her eyes as if trying to erase the tears, the pain._

_Amaia looked over to Cade. He raised his eyebrows and looked over to Asher. Asher simply nodded. Cade frowned but stood beside Amaia, whispering to her; together, they began to work on Eden._

_“Eden, look at us,” Amaia said, holding Cade’s hand._

_Eden removed her hands, looking at them before wiping her tears._

_“We’re going to devise a plan. But first, we have to understand, what exactly do you want us to erase or do?”_

_“I want to forget I ever loved him, I want to forget all of this. Not because I... it's because I love him; if I start reminiscing and thinking about him, I won’t be able to move on. I love him too much and knowing he’s not with me, that he’s not by my side... I can’t do it. Please,_

_help me.”_

__•__

_A few hours later, a plan was devised and set in motion._

_Eden was released from the hospital under little scrutiny._

_Her memories would be locked away deep in her subconscious, never to be touched. Her life in Lawrence would be forgotten, the years she spent there would be replaced with other memories and the process would be a slow one._

_Amaia, wanting to help her cousin best she could, took Eden’s place. A simple spell here, a little transformation there and she went through with everything Eden was too afraid and too broken to handle. She dropped out of university, she buried Mischief in Eden’s place and distanced herself from Eden’s friends. All while, Eden was placed in Cade’s care with the help of Emmethrio, the older vampire; they slowly began repressing Eden’s memories of Mischief and her life, replacing them with other memories and a life she never actually lived. When Amaia’s preparation was over, Eden and Amaia left Cadmus and returned to the Island. Moira was then submitted to Amaia’s mind suppression, replacing memories, replacing ideas and changing both of them until the new life Amaia created for Eden, became Eden’s sole truth._

_But it seemed that even with the repression of those memories and the deep lasting change in her mind could not erase the sadness and loneliness deeply marked in Eden’s heart._

_|•|_

Eden surged forward, returning back to the reality she now faced.

She was a vampire now.

Three years had now passed since Mischief’s death.

The dull ache she always felt, was something she now understood.

Sadness and grief filled her but no tears were shed. She simply held onto the seatbelt and grabbed Cade’s hand. His focus was on the road, driving quietly but stealing glances at her every few minutes, as they drove back home. When he felt her touch, he looked at her. His eyebrows crinkled before returning to the road ahead.

“Thank you.” It was no more than a soft whisper.

Cade frowned. “For what?”

She shuddered. “For complying with a selfish, heartbroken, child’s request... I remember.”

Cade froze under her touch. “I-”

She shushed him. “I thank you truly, Cadmus. You took care of me, you helped me. You knew that what I wanted wasn’t the best but you still complied with my selfish and unreasonable request. You and Amaia. You’ve done so much for me, and I can’t leave Zephyr behind either. I’ll send him my regards one way or another.”

Cade scoffed, a grin slowly forming on his face.

“So you’re not angry?”

“No. Why should I? I’m the one who asked, well, more like demanded you both suppress my memories of him... of Mistrayim. And you did it. You went above and beyond for me, and for that, I owe you.”

Cade grabbed her hand. “I accept your gratitude. I just hope you don’t change your mind about me in the distant future.”

Eden shook her head and watched as Cade turned the corner on their neighborhood and saw two distinct cars parked in their driveway.

“It seems they’re here,” Cadmus explained, parking his car and turning it off. “Are you ready to step inside?”

Eden squeezed his hand. “I am.”

But as she stepped out of the car, Eden felt emotions, both new and old, swell in her. Worry, sadness, confusion, anger and yet the most strangest of them all...

**_Love_**.

**|AC/Rodriguez|**


	8. seVen

Eden got out of the car, following Cade closely, seeing two cars parked in their driveway.

She recognized one, but she didn’t recognize the other. One car was a black Corvette from 2017, which belonged to Amaia; the other was a gray Nissan Altima. She tried to peer inside the Nissan as she made her way inside the house; the windows were tinted, so she continued towards the house, following Cade’s footsteps.

Cade’s house wasn’t actually a house per se, it was more like a mansion. Massive. Wide. 2 floors, not including basement, attic or wine cellar. 10 bedrooms, one large library with office essentials, 4 bathrooms, a kitchen that chefs would kill for, laundry, etc. The first few months Eden got there. Wait... scratch that.

 _The first_ _time_ she stepped foot in the Havillion family home was when she was getting her memories repressed, and she often got lost with the winding hallways and endless doors. When she returned this year, she realized, she never got lost; her sense of direction was better because her subconscious knew where everything was.

Eden shook her head, clearing it as she stood behind Cade. He had keys in his hands and was unlocking the door. “You would think they would leave the door open in anticipation of our arrival,” Cade grumbled as he turned the keys.

Eden chuckled softly behind and that made him turn to see her and squint at her, before breaking into a grin and opening the door widely. The first to greet them was Cookie and Stitch, which both gave Cade a warm welcome, but when they turned to Eden, Stitch began to growl at her whereas Cookie gave her a good sniff before slowly walking towards her, almost hesitantly. Eden didn’t understand at first, then Cade reminded her. “They’re reacting like that because they can tell something is different about you, don’t worry though. It’ll take some time but they will get accustomed to it, just like they got used to me.”

Eden nodded once before slowly crouching to her pets’ eye-level. She then stuck out her hand and tried to pet them- it took a few minutes, but she managed. Now that she had her dogs re-familiarized with her, where were Ivy and Amaia? You’d assume they’d be at the door ready to pounce on her, first chance they got. Eden rose and stood in front of Cade, who then took back his jacket once she handed it back to him, hanging it in the closet beside the main entrance. The clothes she received from FGCSI were still on her, the navy sweater and the gray sweats. Her feet were bare, but that didn’t bother her. Eden was always barefoot, her footsteps silent.

Cade felt the need to announce that they were home, despite being in his household. Instead, he walked away from the foyer and straight into the living room, there was a fireplace burning, a sign that someone was there. Eden followed close behind and felt everything in the house, everything around her that once felt familiar, feel foreign to her.

Had the house always been this eerie quiet? Had the walls always seemed so damn high? Why did she suddenly feel like an ant in this house? Why was everything different? And why was it that while she looked around the living room, she could feel that everything had a different meaning? It was like the history of the house had more depth, more significance. Like everything had double the importance...

and then she realized that now that she was a vampire, her senses were more aware. The feelings and the memories were all from before she turned -mixed with her repressed memories- and they were clashing with the “new” her, the vampire her. Eden tried to ignore the bothersome feeling, tried to shake it off. So while she was distracted with her musings and her ideas, she did not see someone run at her and football tackle her to the ground. She yelped as she went down, her body colliding with the hard marble floor.

Her eyes were open during the fall, she emitted a loud flailing noise that caught Cadmus’s attention; he turned mid-step to see her and Eden saw how his eyes widened. His mouth opened just a bit, a word threatening to escape, but he then relaxed when he realized who tackled Eden. Brown hair with maroon highlights assaulted Eden’s vision, along with arms wrapping tight around Eden’s middle. The force which had been used to knock her over felt familiar, and it took a few seconds for her to recognize whose beanpole arms had knocked her over like a row of bowling pins. She almost imagined someone saying “Strike” in a commentator’s voice.

“Ivory, what the hell?” She heard a familiar voice call from her far right. “I know you missed her, but what’s with the tackle? She just got back, and she’s recently turned.”

Ivory harrumphed as she held Eden tighter, it was a bit flimsy in Eden’s opinion, but she knew her friend was using all the strength she could muster. “You’d think that she wouldn’t have fallen so easily now that she’s a vampire... but I’m so glad to see you are as okay as you can be, E. The thought of never hearing your nasally voice worried me as Rick drove.”

Eden frowned as she pried her arms free from Ivy’s grip, managing to sit. “Hey! My voice is not nasally! Take that back, Scarecrow!”

Her arms were holding Ivy back as she inspected her. Before they moved from the Island, Ivory Carter’s hair had been completely black, like octopus ink. Now it held a lighter shade plus an extra color to give it some life. Her eyes were brown like Eden’s, but her skin had turned even paler than before; remaining indoors to become a video game streamer, had proven a bit advantageous to Ivory; but now they hardly looked alike. Eden was so focused on Ivy, she didn’t notice her carbon copy come behind her and place a hand on her shoulder. Eden flinched thoroughly, a little jump escaping her.

“Easy there, _vaquera_.” Amaia mused. “It’s just me.”

Eden’s face, which was in a neutral, straight-lined look, expanded into a smile once she laid eyes on Amaia. Amaia immediately mirrored her reaction and crouched down to give Eden and Ivy a **_real_** bone-crushing hug. Eden felt her spine crack under the pressure, Ivy’s too.

“I was so worried,” Amaia whispered. “Cade called me and I came running. The trip from New Orleans felt like forever.”

Eden chuckled as she hugged her cousin. “You need to visit me more often.” And then she planted a kiss on her cousin’s cheek. “Thank you, Hady. I remember.”

Amaia froze. And then pulled away, looking at Eden. Ivy, on the other hand, stretched when she got loose, feeling that her spine was out of whack from the hug. “You remember?” Amaia asked, fearful of Eden’s reaction.

Eden nodded. “And I’m grateful for everything you’ve done. For everything you, Asher, Emmery, and Cade have done.”

And when she said Cade’s name, Eden turned to look at him, seeing a smile form on his face and then saw two men standing beside him. One had long hair, reaching his shoulders, his face was set in a semi frown, like he was neither happy nor mad, just... blah. One of his eyes was green while the other was black, and his skin was a slight shade of tan, wearing a muscle tee and green pants. “Nice to see you, Rick,” Eden greeted.

Rick nod his head in salute before locking eyes with Ivy. His face softened, a bit of relief forming.

“I’m guessing he drove?” Eden asked Ivy.

Ivy leaned back on the ground, her hands behind her supporting her weight. “I was so set to drive but Rick insisted he should. Y’know he has nerves of steel, so I let him.”

Eden beamed. And then she turned to the familiar face standing on Cade’s left. He had shorter brown hair, like Cade’s and dark eyes. His skin was a shade lighter than Rick’s, but he was taller than both Cade and Rick; his eyes landed on Eden and a comforting smile formed before he went towards her and helped her stand before pulling her into a hug. “Good to see you alive, **cuzzo**.” His voice was boyish, although a bit deep, Eden always thought he had a singing voice, Amaia reassured her thoroughly, that he didn’t.

“Hey Double D,” Eden responded, hugging him tightly. “I missed you too.”

She felt him cringe, and that caused him softly let go, an eyebrow arched. “When will it be the day, that people stop calling me that? My name is Joey Eddison Sullivan, Eddison is my middle name; calling me Eddy or Ed is fine. Double D isn’t.” His voice sounded serious but the seriousness didn’t reach his eyes.

He saw Amaia and Ivy try to stand and offered them his hands, helping both girls. “Amaia, this is on you.” His voice was a mix between a reprimand and a tired sigh.

Amaia kissed him on the cheek, almost near the lips. “But you don’t mind me calling you that, do you?” Her voice was sweet but the arms wrapped around his waist weren’t.

He narrowed his gaze at her. “Fine... **_Henrietta._** "

Amaia’s eyes widened but she said nothing as she slapped her boyfriend’s arm, it wasn’t a hard hit, or he would have been thrown backward or fallen to the ground. “That’s a low blow, J.”

And then she turned to Eden and Ivy, their arms were looped together and wearing matching smirks. ” ** _Henrietta,_** is it?” Ivy asked.

Eden’s right lip rose, a dimple forming as her eyebrows lowered. “Henrietta was going to be her second name, a name given to her by grandma Illuminada, in honor of Amaia’s paternal grandfather, Henry. Grandma was in love with him and wanted to honor him when he died years ago; but he was married to someone else. Amora Henrietta... which later changed on the birth certificates to Amaia Hadreah. You’re lucky Aunt Ximena took pity on you.”

A scowl formed on Amaia’s face and then she was walking away, walking in Cade’s direction. She wanted to change the subject which was why she then asked him, “What happened tonight and why was Eden turned?”

That snapped everyone back to the situation at hand. Eden’s face fell as if suddenly remembering what happened earlier. Ivy’s hand became a reassuring anchor.

“I think we should sit down for this,” Cadmus called before heading to the living room and sitting on his recliner, the fireplace lighting up the room and instilling warmth. Eden immediately walked to Cade’s side, it was already a habit and instinct to sit on his lap, snuggling up to him whenever she felt alone or sad. But before she managed, she felt an arm tug her to the sofa, sitting between Ivy and Amaia. Ivy tugged her again once Eden hesitated, and she ignored the look Cade threw her way.

Eddie and Rick sat on the other sofa across from the girls while Cade sat in the middle, his black recliner creating a division between them. Cadmus steepled his hands before opening his mouth to speak.

“We were going to a Halloween party. We were having fun. We-”

Eden then cut him off. “No Cade sadly, _you_ were having fun. I wasn’t.” And then she threw herself into a detailed explanation.

_•_

_Cade had begged her to go with him to the Halloween party. Eden had refused. He asked her to dress up. She didn’t even want to go out. But he eventually convinced her, said that she’d never..._

_Wait, she_ _had_ _gone; Eden had gone to Halloween parties with Mischief when they were dating. She instantly remembered the few times she had gone and always enjoyed it._

_Going with Cade would be different because she didn’t remember her time with Mischief at that moment; so, she finally complied, dressing up like her favorite heroine, Lara Croft and Cade one-upping her as a sexy pirate- he even had his shirt open to reveal his chest- something Eden had tried to not look at._

_The first party they hit was loud and wild. Eden wasn’t much of a drinker, but Cade was drinking every teenage guy under the table, it helped that he was incapable of getting drunk immediately. She then remembered the feeling of watching Cade enjoy himself, wanting to enjoy herself too, but she had felt so out of place. She never liked Halloween, even while she was with Mischief, but he constantly used to hit small parties, never one where half the neighborhood was involved._

_Eden watched as Cadmus danced around a few girls and made sure to always have eyes on her drink. Cade would soon be making escapades with girls, to do the_ _Tango_ _. She felt a bit weird about him leaving her, but she knew he had needs, he wasn’t celibate and he sure wasn’t with her. The thought alone at that moment felt absurd._

_Eden didn’t know how long they stayed in each house, all she knew is that they made 4 stops that night. Cade was going around with girls and Eden was left to drink, make small talk or dance with guys who were sober enough. By the 5th house, Eden’s feet were sore, her shirt was too tight and her makeup was sweating off her face. Cade was high on either blood or the extreme alcohol he was consuming- if alcohol could even affect him. She talked to him a few times, asking him if he wanted to head home yet. His polite refusal at the fifth house kept her from feeling ignored._

_‘I know I’m not spending all my time with you, Eden, I admit it. But it’s good from time to time to unwind, sweetie. Just enjoy, I know you want to head home but just give the party a chance. Enjoy it, this only happens once a year. Just have fun while it lasts. Tomorrow will be different,’ Cade explained at some point. He then kissed her head before being pulled away by three girls. To do what, Eden didn’t even want to imagine but she knew._

_All she knew was that she wanted to go home, Cade wanted to keep the party going. After Cade returned almost 30 minutes later, he was shirtless, his fake eye patch was gone and his vest was inside out. She couldn’t take it anymore, she wanted to head home. They finally agreed that she was okay to leave as long as both of them kept their phones on and not on vibrate. Cade showed her his phone was on, still working and loud for everyone to hear. He gave her another kiss on the head before she made her way to the door. She simply texted him that she was leaving while she walked and that she’ll text him again when she got home. Maybe since she was texting and walking, she didn’t notice the guys she barreled into while leaving. One dude was dressed as Pikachu, face yellow with red circles on his cheeks and a Pikachu shirt. His pants were black but his sneakers were yellow, his friend was..._

_‘Are you dressed as Beetlejuice?’ Eden asked once she laid eyes on the guy beside Pikachu._

_The boy groaned as if he had heard that question before. ‘No, I’m dressed like Gomez from the Addams Family. I knew I should have bought that stupid mustache.’_

_Eden looked at him once more. ‘Oops, sorry. It’s the striped suit, caught me off guard.’ She then grinned before stepping aside to let the guys pass._

_The boys ignored the door and kept eyes on her. Pikachu asked, ‘What are you dressed as?’_

_Eden smirked. ‘Lara Croft, the Tomb Raider.’_

_“Gomez” looked at her. ‘Looks cool, you pulled it off.’ And then his eyes landed on her face, a small smile forming._

_″Thanks, have a good night.′ Eden said before walking away._

_Pikachu called after her. ‘Wait, is the party like over or something?’ His voice sounded deep and paused, like that one dude from Big Hero 6... Fred was it?_

_Eden turned. ‘No, I’m just leaving.’ And then she waved. ‘Have fun.’_

_And then she was walking down the sidewalk. She made it to the corner when she heard footsteps behind her. ‘Hey wait!’_

_It was Gomez and Pikachu. Eden then turned, her eyebrows lowering. ‘Umm... the party is that way?’ She pointed._

_Gomez scratched his head, a nervous chuckle escaping him. ‘Yeah, we know. It’s just that...umm, how do I say this without sounding creepy?’_

_Pikachu was a step behind. ‘He thinks you’re pretty and wants your number.’ He called._

_Gomez turned, shooting daggers at Pikachu while Pikachu gave him the thumbs up._

_Eden gave a slight snort before giggling. Her eyes closed as she leaned forward, hands on knees as she laughed. And then she opened them to see Gomez looking at her, a blush creeping across his face. ‘Sorry, it’s not that I’m making fun of you, I’m making fun of what Pikachu said. But no, not my number, but I’ll give you my name.’ She then extended her hand. ‘I’m Eden.’_

_Gomez paused, not noticing her extended hand. ‘That’s an unusual name.’_

_Eden rolled her eyes. ‘Yeah, my mom is a religious fanatic.’ Then she offered another grin. ‘So, am I going to call you Gomez or am I getting a name from you,’ and then she looked at his friend behind him, ‘and Pikachu?’_

_Gomez beamed as he finally took her hand. ‘I’m Rory, that’s Mickey.’_

_Eden shook his hand. ‘Nice to meet you, Rory,’ then she called to Pikachu. ‘You too, Mickey.’_

_Then he let go of her hand. Eden was ready to walk away, but Mickey called after her. ‘Hey, are you a Pokémon fan?’_

_Eden glanced at him. ‘Well, I own Pokémon Go, if that’s what you’re asking. Why, do you play Lara Croft?’ Her eyebrows were knitted, not in anger but in challenge._

_‘No, but I saw the movies.’ Mickey replied._

_’And I bet you enjoyed the_ _plot_ _in both of them, didn’t you?” She was being sarcastic and direct. Cade tended to call her a snake for having such a sharp tongue, it wasn’t an insult, he actually found her wit pretty sharp and enjoyable._

_Mickey placed a hand on his chest. ’I am hurt that you would think I would fall into the stereotypical guy mode where I just enjoy a female lead movie just because of her body and not her talents. To not see her as a brave, strong woman who can kick ass and still be considered both feminine and tough. I am hurt,_ _Eden_ _.′_

_Eden’s eyebrows rose as she smiled. ‘Sorry for mislabeling you, then. My apologies.’_

_Mickey then turned to Rory. ‘I’ll forgive you if you agree to come with us so you can see my Pokémon cards. I have an entire collection, and I’m dying to show them to someone other than Rory.’_

_Rory’s head snapped to Mickey’s direction, Mickey just winked._

_Eden watched as a hand went to her hip. ’And what makes you think I’ll follow two strangers home? If you thought that I was_ **_that_ ** _kind of girl, you’re sorely mistaken.′ Her tone was challenging._

_‘We’re two nerdy guys, one literally dressed like Pikachu, who is offering to show you his Pokémon trading cards collection. I doubt we look the least bit intimidating.’_

_Eden chuckled. 'Not really,_ **_but_ ** _appearances can be deceiving.′_

_She considered them. Would she take the chance and go with them? Would she-_

“Wait, wait! Stop it right there!” Ivy cut in, interrupting Eden’s story. “Did you actually **GO WITH THEM?!”**

Eden lowered her head. “They had a compelling case, Cade was basically doing the same thing on his end and I had drunk enough... my common sense was long gone.” She admitted.

Amaia scoffed. “You got drunk? You? Aren’t you the violent type?”

Eden pursed her lips as she turned to her cousin. “Mischief and I...” Eden almost got choked up. “We- we used to drink from time to time, and Cade has kept me in check too. Last night was no different.”

Ivy then turned to Cade. “I still can’t believe you let her leave the party alone. What kind of friend are you?”

Eden was quick to his defense. “Hey! Leave him alone! Going to their house was my decision, the consequences that followed were from **_my_** actions. You can’t blame him for something I chose.”

Cade then turned his chair to look directly at Eden. “It’s still my fault, E. I failed you. I promised to look after you, and the first chance I got, you slipped from my grasp and got hurt. I’m never forgiving myself for this, Ivy is right.”

Eden looked at him and swallowed. She then rose and wrapped him in a hug. “You may not forgive yourself, but I forgive you.”

And then Eden climbed on Cade’s lap, seeking comfort. Eden felt Amaia’s piercing glance on her, but she didn’t care. She held on tight before continuing.

_•_

_Eden decided tonight, on Halloween, she would allow herself to be reckless. She would actually do something risky. And then she looked at Mickey and Rory. They were right, they weren’t intimidating in the least. So Eden complied with their request after rolling her eyes. ‘Okay, so how far from here to your place? And don’t you dare try anything funny! I have siblings and a cousin that can make your deaths look like accidents.’_

_Mickey gave Rory a nudge before walking in the far front, giving his friend some privacy. But he made comments from time to time, talking about silly things, winning Eden’s confidence in them, giving her a sense of security._

_‘So we live, six blocks away from this neighborhood.’ Rory explained. ‘How about you?’_

_Eden snorted. ‘Real smooth. You trying to get some info out of me?’ She smirked._

_Rory coughed, trying to ignore her jab at him. ‘It’s a simple question, Eden.’_

_‘One I don’t intend to answer.’ She replied as she followed them. ‘Ask me something else.’_

_And that’s how her walk to the boys’ place went. They were trying to ask her questions and Eden evading them or giving them one-word answers._

_When they got to the place, Eden was confused._

_’You live_ _here_ _?′ It was an old apartment building, not too fa_ _r from Eden’s neighborhood, but it left much to be desired._

_It was in a word, disgusting. The paint was old, some spots looked yellow from either urine or mold, Eden didn’t want to know._

_‘Are you sure you didn’t drag me here to cut me up into little pieces and sell my organs?’_

_Rory flinched and Mickey sputtered as he complained. ‘We’re college students, not monsters.’_

_Eden scoffed, but then looked at the building and then at the boys she was beginning to call friends. She decided to take the risk._

_But if only she knew... how making that one decision would cost her_

_so dearly,_

**_so soon._ **

**| _AC~Rodriguez_ |**


	9. Chapter 9

_Eden scoffed and then sighed, weighing her choices until she finally came to a decision. ‘I’m only going inside because my feet are killing me and that walk didn’t help at all. I might stay to see your Pokémon card collection and then I’m heading back.’ Eden’s voice was stern. ‘That’s all the time you got, okay?’_

_She was tired, every piece of her body ached- demanding rest, and all she wanted was something to drink that wasn’t beer or spiked punch; water or hot chocolate would do nicely. She wanted something to keep her warm, something to make her feel better._

_Mick gave her a thumbs up and Rory offered a small smile before allowing her to walk between them, Mick in the lead. They made it into the sad-looking building and walked to the elevator; once inside, Eden didn’t hesitate to slide to the ground as the elevator rose to the third floor. Rory kept giving her funny looks, but she didn’t care. All she wanted was rest, and to keep a sense of security, despite how false or flimsy it would be. Eden cared even less once she removed her boots and placed them beside the door, once the boys led her into their apartment. She didn’t know what she was expecting from their place, but she did expect it to be filled with nerdy memorabilia. Instead, pale bone colored_ _walls adorned the room-_ _and a bookshelf stored with books and magazines as far as she could tell and a few pieces of furniture,_ _made up the room,_ _enough for the room to not be bare. The dining table was in the far left of the room and a small alcove she might have considered the kitchen, on the right. The apartment wasn’t anything grand, but it seemed cozy and clean. There was even an action figure or two lying around the sofa. Eden felt a bit of relief, she didn’t judge them for their belongings. She too enjoyed nerdy things as well. She felt comfortable with them; she smiled to herself as she glanced around._

_She walked to the couch, finding action figures and almost sitting on them. ‘Who do Siniestro and Namor belong to?’_

_Mickey threw Rory a wide smile, it was instantly forming on his face. She managed to hear Mick whisper, ‘Oh my Wookie, she’s perfect. Go get her, man!’_

_Eden ignored the comment as she looked at the bookshelf, her gaze resting on a large amount of books, and how she could tell some of them were indeed comics. Rory came back shortly with two cans of ginger ale- Eden smiled before opening the can and taking a sip. It wasn’t a hot drink, but it would do. A bit of exhaustion faded, but she was in no hurry to leave, especially now that she was finally sitting. She could feel Rory look at her and saw Mick glance her way from the kitchen, a smirk growing on his face._

_‘So where are the cards you wanted to show me?’ She asked after taking another gulp._

_‘I’ll be right back.’ Mick called, interrupting Rory from explaining._

_‘What’s he doing?’ Eden whispered, after waiting for a few minutes, of course._

_He was heading to another room, but it looked more like the bathroom. How could she tell, you ask? Mick opened a door in the hallway and turned on the light- the light from the room reflected on a mirror hanging on a door behind Mick. The bathroom door was open, the mirror reflecting what he was doing into the living room. She saw as he began sifting through the bathroom shelves and moving things around and mumbled words made their way to Rory and Eden._

_‘I think he’s taking off his makeup.’ Rory explained. ‘So... DC or Marvel?’ He was trying to lead her attention back to him._

_Eden grinned. ‘Tough question, I don’t think I can answer that. I mean-’_

Joey cut in this time. “Eden, I appreciate the thorough details you’re giving us, but when will you get to the part where you..?”

Eden paused and swallowed. She felt as if her core temperature had dropped a few degrees, which was in the realm of possibility given what she was now. She felt Cade snarl as he suddenly held her tighter, glaring at Joey. Eden snuggled deeper into Cade’s chest, glad to know that he was willing to snap at anyone who opposed her, but she held Cade tighter as she suddenly remembered how the story ended.

She then felt like burying the truth, ignoring the stares of everyone in the room, feeling pitying glances and anxious looks. She felt something weight down on her... she really didn’t want to talk about this but, she knew it was vital. She knew her family had driven out of their way to investigate the why and how she was turned. They wanted to know who was responsible for sending her into the FGCSI’s morgue and how badly would they have to dole the punishment for laying hands on her.

She knew they were being fair and their justification was right~ish, but she still didn’t want to talk. She just wanted to hide away and pretend this didn’t happen. She didn’t want to re-live tonight’s events with crystal clear clarity, she just wanted to forget and let fate or karma deal its own justice. But as she continued to hesitate, she could still feel Amaia’s awaiting glance, sense the change in atmosphere around Ivy and feel the reassuring touch of Cade’s hands on her. It was knowing that Cade was by her side that gave her the strength to stop dawdling, quit stalling, and finish her story.

So she shook her head, breathed in Cade’s calming scent before murmuring, “Fine.”

_•_

_About twenty minutes in, Eden realized she was having genuine fun. Mick and Rory were super cool. They were now discussing their likes and dislikes concerning comic books, tv shows, and books. Eden forgot all about the time, she forgot her declaration to leave early; and she never texted Cade about heading back, and she never told him where she went. But he wasn’t texting back or calling, so Eden did the same._

_But things got worse, especially when there came a thundering knock on Mick and Rory’s door. The sound caused Eden to jump in her spot, almost biting her tongue in the process._

_Eden looked at the boys as they stared at the door. They were hesitant to answer but heard someone call their names; the voice sounding gruff and mad. She could vaguely hear what the voice was saying but Eden threw Mick a confused look- but his attention was on the door as Rory opened it and an angry man barged in, a beer in his hands; there was a heavy book under one arm and a bag thrown over his shoulder. Eden raised an eyebrow and tried to make herself invisible to the newcomer. The sense of security she felt was now gone. Eden tried to guess who he might be. He looked around their age group, 20-27 max, tall and seriously pissed._

_‘What took you so long to open the fucking door?’ He slammed the book on the table along with his beer can, the splash encompassing the table._

_‘We have a visitor Lenny, be polite.’ Mick cut in, trying to appease the newcomer._

_Lenny turned to look at Eden and frowned when he saw her sitting on the sofa. ‘Who is she?’ His hair was dark and matted to his forehead by sweat, his body was lean but swaying, probably because of all the alcohol he consumed, and his skin was a slight shade paler than her own- but her skin was the color of Pocahontas- something her family reminded her often._

_‘A new friend. Just go to your room, take a nap, you have work at 8.’ Mick continued, ushering Lenny back to the hallway to the rooms._ _They almost look similar,_ _Eden thought._

_‘Who is he?’ Eden asked Rory, her eyes looking between him and Lenny._

_‘He’s the owner of the apartment room, and Mick’s older cousin. I’m friends with Mick, but I dislike Lenny too much. We all split the rent but Lenny pays the brunt of it, we pay whatever we can when we work.’_

_Lenny’s voice interrupted Eden and Rory’s conversation. ‘And you just let her in? Without question?’ Lenny was grunting, but Mick pulled him into the hallway and whispered to him._

_Eden murmured. ‘I think this is my cue to leave.’ And then she was standing, looking for her boots. She was a confusing person, Eden hated confrontation, but she liked to mediate in some occasions, and sometimes she was the instigator. It all depended on her mood, but she was still trying to recover her sobriety; it still hadn’t come back yet. Her body still felt heavy to her, a bit tipsy even. How was it that she made it here without keeling over and now she could barely stand straight?_

_‘Wait.’ Rory cut in, he was three inches taller than her and his blue eyes searched hers. ‘Please don’t go. Just ignore Lenny, he’s being stupid.’ His eyes were kind and pleading. A soft hand touched her but the touch was almost non-existent._

_Lenny then barged back into the living room, a growl forming on his face. ‘Who do you think you’re calling stupid, dipshit?’_

_Rory’s hand moved away quickly, as if he had been burned. As soon as she heard him, the whole avoiding confrontation part of her, left. It was obvious Lenny was drunk, but the way he treated her new acquaintances did not sit well with her. She scowled as Lenny glared at Rory, but Rory simply shrunk back. When Lenny felt Eden glare at him, he looked her way._

_‘What are you looking at, dumb Bitch?’ He was taller than Rory, which meant he was taller than Eden too._

_Eden heard Mick take in a shaky breath while Rory came to her defense. Eden simply sneered. “What’s wrong, little man? Is that the best you can do?′ Eden gave him the once over, allowing whatever came to mind spill from her lips. ‘What? You think “bitch” is the worst I’ve been called? I lived in a place where calling each other bitch or hoe is a term of endearment or greeting. You’re going to have to do better than that! So why don’t you stop being a stupid, drunk piece of shit who likes pissing on other people’s fun?’_

_Lenny looked at her with slight shock. Eden allowed a slow, wicked smile to grow as Lenny seethed. He took a threatening step forward and Eden did the same, blame it on the alcohol if you will, but she was feeling daring. Glaring deep into his eyes, she stood there, unwavering. 'A motherfucking drunk cocksucker like you will_ **_not_ ** _intimidate me, I’ve lived with creatures scarier than you.′ Her smirk deepened. ‘Try anything you like, you dumbfuck, I dare you. Most of my relatives are Army, Marines, or Navy; you can imagine what sort of upbringing I’ve had.’_

_Her voice was low yet menacing, her eyes barely blinking. And when she saw Lenny took a step back, she harrumphed and turned around to face Rory. She got close as she whispered to him, ‘Don’t let him walk over you.’ She felt a smirk form as she saw Rory’s shocked and pale face. She patted him on the shoulder before walking to the door, grabbing her boots._

_She would have made it out the door had she not felt an arm grab her and pull her backward with such force that it knocked over her boots and balance. She almost had the sense of feeling like she was falling, but that quickly faded when she was crushed into someone’s front, her back pressing to someone’s chest and someone’s deep breath warming her neck. A knife then pressed to her throat, drawing out a hiss. Rory and Mick cried out as Lenny placed the knife closer. Eden didn’t entirely flinch, but she didn’t move either. It was like she was frozen. The way she was held was a bit awkward but secure, and the knife was keeping her in check._

_She definitely wasn’t expecting this._

_‘Lenny, please stop what you’re doing and let her go.’ Mick said as he raised his hands, showing they were empty as he walked closer._

_‘Take one step closer and I’ll cut her ugly fat neck.’ Lenny growled, as he used his free hand to her hold her left arm behind her back, while the hand holding the knife encircled and pressed her right arm against her. ‘Listen here little whore,’ Lenny said as he boomed in her ear, making her flinch at the loudness in her eardrum. ‘You don’t get to talk to me like I’m gum on your shoe. You either treat me with respect or I will tear out your throat and sacrifice you to Satan.’_

_That snapped Eden back to reality. Maybe it was the alcohol still affecting her, and her life’s choices. ‘Wait a minute, did you just say, **'S**_ _**acrifice me to Satan**?_ _′ The disbelief and mocking in her tone caused Lenny to quake behind her. ‘And... do I really have a fat neck?’_

_Mick was shaking his head. Rory was trying to slowly walk to the other side of the room, looking for something, eyes on her. Eden, on the other hand, despite feeling extreme pain in her left arm, felt like she was too shocked to care about her current situation. The knife was at her neck and a drunk man was basically holding her hostage in a strangers’ house. She really got herself in deep; but still, she didn’t feel fear, she felt tired, a little too tired._

_Lenny pulled her closer, shaking her, which caused him to nick her in the neck. Eden flinched, then felt a bit of fear finally awake her, feeling the pain in the cut._ **_′_ ** **_Did.I.STUTTER_ ** **_?!′_ **

_‘No.’ She said as she tried to pry an arm free but couldn’t. He may have been drunk, but he was still strong. She wasn’t panicking yet, but she was beginning to feel worried. She never expected this to happen. And she knew, somewhere in the back of her brain, that this was her own fault and there was no one else to blame._

_‘Lenny, please. She was just teasing you. Let her go.’ Mick tried again. ‘C’mon man, you aren’t like this.’ And then he tried to take a step towards him but then Lenny dug the knife deeper into Eden. A soft whine escaped her but she was determined to not show fear, not yet. But she felt the buzz of alcohol, no matter how small it was, keep her angry, of all things._

_Eden swallowed painfully but said nothing. She wasn’t going to open her mouth, not until she found an opening. ‘Take one step closer Mick, and I will hurt her. I’m not kidding.’ Lenny chose that moment to point the knife in Mick’s direction and that gave Eden the chance she needed._

_Eden reacted. She then stomped on Lenny’s foot with all her strength and headbutt him. He yowled as he came in contact with the pain, but he didn’t let go. His grip on Eden became harder as Mick tried to pry Lenny from Eden, he managed to struggle for the knife with Lenny for a brief moment. She spun from Lenny as he let go of her right side, his grip still steel on her left. Lenny kicked Mick back, the young boy moaning as he went down; she then tried to punch him anywhere, as long as she landed one clean hit, but didn’t see as Lenny arched the knife and stabbed her in the chest, right under her clavicle._

_A pained shriek escaped Eden._

_It sounded like a howling demon, to be honest. Pure pain erupted in her chest and in her skin, she could feel her own blood pool at the wound. She felt as if she had been stabbed with a scorching knife, the pain not only burned but it consumed her. Lenny’s smirk widened as he pulled her closer to him and pushed the knife deeper in as she screamed. She tried to move but the pain was becoming unbearable, she could tell he touched bone._

_Eden could hear screaming around her but her sole focus was on Lenny, his dark demon-like eyes and his malicious smirk, her wound, and the knife. Blood was rolling down her chest; she was face to face with Lenny now, and she could feel how her knees suddenly became weak. She saw how Lenny’s smirk widened as he twisted the knife and pushed it deeper into her skin. The bastard was enjoying every shriek and scream she gave. And Eden then just wanted everything to be over._

_Another bloodcurdling scream erupted from her. She tried to move away from him, tried to get away from Lenny, but he had a good grip on her right arm now and was still playing with the knife embedded in her skin, under her left clavicle. Eden knew the knife was also holding the blood in her body and simultaneously making her bleed out. She was torn on what to do, especially now that she felt weak._

_Then she heard a shrieking sound behind her; Lenny turned her over, using her as a human shield as Rory charged at both of them with a knife. Lenny's right hand encircled her neck, holding the knife, and his left was pulling her hair back in one quick motion, too quick for this to be possible._

_She felt more pain in her abdomen. She felt like her guts were being cut into pieces. Being slashed. A guttural scream escaped her again, her legs felt weaker, and she knew she couldn’t stand anymore._

_Rory’s face became the definition of shock and horror. She knew he didn’t mean to hurt her. She knew that he had intended to hurt Lenny instead._

_But Lenny has been smarter, faster even. And now he was laughing like a mad man behind her. How was this possible? How did this night end like this?_

_‘Ooh, Rory, look at what you did!’ He was cackling. ‘You hurt your little girlfriend. Now her blood... is on your hands!’_

_Rory was instantly pressing his hands against Eden’s wound, trying to staunch the bleeding. He was muttering rapidly under his breath, but Eden’s hearing was failing her. She couldn’t hear what he said, all she knew was that Rory was crying as he placed his hands on Eden’s wound, barely cutting himself with the knife._

_Her eyes were trying to close on her and Lenny was still holding her in front of him, both knives embedded in her skin. Eden was letting out small irregular gasps of breath and whimpering. She couldn’t stand the pain any longer. She didn’t feel the tears as they rolled down her cheeks, she just wanted everything to be over. The ripe and hardened pain was much more than she could bear. Every breath felt torturous, the burning sensation in her body made her want to die quickly. She didn’t remember or care about what would happen, what she would leave behind if she died. She just wanted this to be over._

_‘I think it’s time to end your little girlfriend’s misery.’ Lenny cackled. ‘Say goodbye, boys.’_

_She didn’t know what he meant, but for a second, she felt almost grateful. But that quickly changed. Mick was still pleading to his cousin, his face a shocking white -ghostlike- and Rory was still focused on her wound, still trying to hold in the bleeding while moving his lips._

_And with one quick movement, Lenny pulled the knife free from under Eden’s clavicle. Another hoarse scream escaped her, but it became her last as Lenny dragged the knife across her throat._

_Eden could vaguely hear herself gag and choke on her own blood. Her hands flew to her throat as she felt blood coat her fingers and spill across her. She felt the warmth, the stickiness to it as Rory screamed and tried to hold the blood in while suddenly cradling her in his arms. And Mick... where was Mick, where had he gone? Eden didn’t know, she could barely see Rory’s tear-filled face, his lips moving but her hearing failed her as he cradled her in his arms... and it was the last thing she saw before Death claimed her._

__•__

When Eden was done telling her story, Cade’s grip on her became dangerous. She could see how white his knuckles and her arms were where Cadmus held her. She could feel him seething and burning in his seat and it didn’t take long before she could feel everyone else in the room, excluding Rick, burn with rage. Amaia’s silver-iron claws had sprung free at some point and had now dug themselves into the hands of the sofa; Ivy was clenching and unclenching her fists and Eddie was breathing deeply, eyes unwavering from Eden’s face. Eden couldn’t stand to look at them, so instead, she dug her face into the crook of Cade’s neck and held on tight.

She wanted to forget how this was her own fault. Had warranted and sealed her own death. She did this to herself. And yet despite what she did, despite wanting death to claim her, it had refused somehow and brought her back, with the exception of removing her humanity. She was no longer herself, but she could still feel and think like herself. Her mind was still working, her breathing was almost nonexistent, but she could still move and act like the Eden she was before.

But at the same time, she felt foreign.

Now she wondered what really made her snap back at Lenny. If he was drunk and angry, what genius part of her made her snap at him? She didn’t like that he was bullying her new friends, but that was still none of her business.

 _‘It was because you have seen that type of behavior before, in someone else, someone you knew. And you hate it and your first reaction was to fight against it.’_ said the near rational voice in her head.

Even if it was the _right_ thing to do, it was still the **_stupidest_** thing to do. Because of that- her family, her immediate family- had been sent into a frenzy and drove here at the drop of a hat to check on her.

_‘What if something happened to them on the way, all because of you? What if they had gotten hurt while worrying about you? What would you do if that had happened?’_

Eden felt her hand rise to her neck, feeling for the wound Lenny made and feeling her flesh whole instead. A hand then lowered to her clavicle, her eyes still staring deeply into the cupboard Cade owned on the far right of the room. The cupboard held a great number of things, small heirlooms. Rings, fine china, daggers, a few valuable pictures and some parchments that were encased in a glass frame, preserved to last a long time. Whenever she felt bored, Eden would stare at the cupboard and glance inside; on some occasions, Cadmus would allow her to open the cupboard and touch and clean some of the things there. Eden felt her clavicle and felt the wound gone there too. She knew it would be the same in her abdomen so she didn’t bother. The room was eerily silent, the only sound was the crackling fire and Joey’s deep breathing as he suddenly got up to pace. Rick was glaring at the ceiling, but then he finally spoke.

“How is it that you’re alive then? How is it you got turned?” He was more rational, his deep voice soft yet with an edge.

Eden snapped to his voice as did everyone else, Cade was the only one who uttered a shaky breath and turned towards Ivy and Amaia. Amaia was then leaning forward, sharing a knowing look between both Ivy and Cade but Eden didn’t see it. Ivy was then going to her boyfriend’s side and wrapping her arms around his middle while he placed a possessive arm around her.

Eden finally spoke, her voice sounding distant and small. “Maybe someone else at one of the parties was a vampire. Maybe they drugged me. I _was_ drinking a lot, and even though I always kept eyes on my drink, I...”

Eden paused. The excuse or story she had just created sounded so flimsy, so lame that she didn’t want to continue. Because in truth, Eden didn’t know how she got turned.

Amaia cleared her throat, shaking her head for Rick to drop the subject after locking eyes with him and continued. “How did you end up at the morgue?”

This time, Cade explained. He told them about the call he received, he told them about the agents that had found her body and he told them where and how Eden was found. He told them about the mysterious doctor who helped Eden and how he called her medical condition “Piśāca”.

Amaia jumped in her seat. “Cade, the word Piśāca is a Punjabi word-”

Cade interjected, a roll of his eyes passing over his face. “Well I’m sorry Amaia, but not everyone is a skilled linguist, like you.”

Amaia growled. “And it literally translates to the word Vampire... he was literally telling them that Eden was a vampire.”

Cade snapped his attention back to her as did Eden. “He called it a medical condition that first appeared in India and its spread to people of Indian descent and that it affects the entire body. And yet, when he told anyone who asked, they believed whatever he said.”

Amaia rested her chin on the back of her hand, considering what she was told and then the part about the doctor, something was different about him. “Do you guys know anything else about Dr. Teddy?”

Eden shook her head and Cade followed suit.

Amaia sighed and then they heard the grandfather clock mark 5:30 am. It was an antique that belonged in the Havillion family for generations now, Cade had an old friend come to check on it now and then to keep it up and running. Eden didn’t know why, but she suddenly felt very exhausted, bone-tired and didn’t want to talk about this anymore.

She murmured to Cade, “Do vampires even sleep?”

Cade whispered in her ear; a hint of his breath brushed her neck. “Where do you think the legend for vampires sleeping in coffins comes from? I mean, we don’t require sleep per-se, but it helps us digest blood and regain our strength faster. And since you are a new-turned, you might need more sleep than usual.”

Eden backed away, staring into Cadmus’s deep blue eyes. His face was set in a serene look, making Eden feel relaxed despite the condition she found herself. He then planted a kiss on her head.

“I think it best we all go to sleep. There’s more to talk about and deal with later on.” Cade announced as he rubbed Eden’s shoulder. “There are plenty of rooms available. Rest up and we’ll talk later.”

And then Eden was standing, Cade still holding onto her. Eddie went to Amaia’s side, intending to find a room for himself and Amaia, but she had other plans.

“Eden, Ivy, let’s sleep in one room, the men can sleep wherever they want,” Amaia stated, glancing at Rick and Eddie.

Rick frowned as he peered at Amaia before locking eyes with Ivory and seeing the nod she sent his way. He relaxed before giving her a kiss and then going after Cade, who was giving the boys a brief tour of the rooms and the bathrooms on the second floor, leaving Amaia, Eden, and Ivy in the living room.

“Is there something wrong, Hady?” Eden asked as she leaned on Ivy, her head falling on Ivy’s arm.

“Nothing too serious,” Amaia admitted. “Just some questions I have to ask.”

“Yeah, like since when are you and Cade a thing?” Ivy asked as she moved to stand beside Amaia, arms crossing over her chest, a ghost of a smirk growing on her face.

Eden did a double-take. “Cade and I? A thing?” Eden had the good sense to giggle. “Now I know you’re seeing things that aren’t there.” She shook her head, a grin forming. “Cade and I aren’t a thing. He’s like a brother to me and that’s that.”

“A brother who makes you sit on his lap? Kisses your head? Holds you tight? Get’s possessive?” Amaia said as she walked a full circle around her cousin. “Eden, please. You can’t be _that_ oblivious.”

Eden’s face turned to pout. “Cadmus and I aren’t a thing. I don’t see him that way... besides, the only possessive boyfriend around here is Rick.”

Ivy actually blushed. “I don’t mind. And he respects me when I don’t agree with him, he just likes keeping me close to him... and I love that about him.”

Amaia gave Ivy a playful nudge. “You’re so in love, it’s sickeningly sweet.”

Eden felt as if they were simply keeping this conversation going to give Eden a sense of normalcy. That even if she had changed, her cousin and adopted sister would remain a constant. And for that she thanked them. Without further ado, she enveloped both girls in a tight hug. “Thank you for coming, it means the world to me to know you love me that much. I’m sorry for causing you trouble.”

Amaia was the first to hug her cousin back while wrapping an arm around Ivy. “This is what family is for,” she whispered. “to love unconditionally and be there for your loved ones. Just never scare us like that again.”

“Ditto.” Ivy second before yawning. “Now let’s go to sleep, I’m exhausted.”

“You can sleep in my room, the bed is big enough for all of us, plus a stray dog or two,” Eden explained as she made her way to the stairs, Amaia and Ivy following after her.

The corridor they entered seemed endless, with doors flanking them left and right, but Eden only cared about the second door on her right, the door that led to her room. The door to Cadmus’s room was the fourth door on the left, and for a single moment, Eden almost walked past her room to head into Cade’s. When she felt Amaia chuckle about something behind her, Eden’s attention returned to the present and entered her room without a second thought. The cream curtains were billowing like ghosts; the windows to Eden’s room were wide open, allowing the autumn air to freshen up the room, the sun was beginning to come up Ivy set to partially close the windows as Amaia searched for pillows in the trunk at the foot of Eden’s bed. Eden’s bed, however, was filled with stuffed animals of all sorts. When Eden remembered who gave them to her, she grabbed the biggest one and gave it a tight hug.

“Thank you, Mischief. I will always love you, I miss you dearly and hope you are resting. I’m sorry for being a coward but thank you for loving me.” She whispered into the big bear’s fur as she squeezed, ignoring Ivy and Amaia who were standing behind her, watching her.

She gave her girls a tight-lipped smile before preparing the bed for sleep. Shortly afterward, all three girls were lying in bed, whispering silly nonsense to each other, Eden sandwiched between them. They whispered their good-nights to each other before slowly, sleep whispered its lullaby to them.

**| _AC*Rodriguez_ |**

**_I would have published Thursday as promised but I got distracted and today was my birthday soo... anyways, chapter eiGht._ **

****

**_-(April 25,2020)_ **


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